Branch of the Wolf-Trolls
by Black Raider
Summary: Back and better than ever! A rainbow troll is raised in the forest by wild animals, never knowing what he really is until strangers visit his home.
1. Two Worlds

**Chapter One – Two Worlds**

He was only a baby, hardly a year old, so he didn't understand things like how adults do. He could feel his blanket around him, and his mother clutched him to her chest so tightly he could feel and hear her pounding heart. Thankfully, he didn't have to feel the stinging, freezing rain. His parents, on the other hand, got the full brunt of the storm. The baby's mother kept the blankets tight around her son. The father rowed with all his might, fighting the waves that tossed around their little rowboat. The storm raged and roared, threatening to capsize their little dinghy. If they could, they would've taken a larger boat. But escaping their prison-like homeland would be worth it if they survived this trek.

Then again, the father began to wish he had some sort of map or something to tell them where they were.

The mother scanned the storm. They had floated and rowed on the ocean for several days. They were out of food and fresh water. If they didn't find something soon, their mission to find a new life would abruptly end in their untimely demise. Then, the mother pointed to something behind the father. The father turned around.

As lightning flashed, the parents looked ahead to see the tide taking them to the shores of a vast, forested region.

This wide, forested, wild region was known as Darknem. Within this land lived a wide variety of wondrous and sometimes strange creatures. One such species of strange creatures were the wolf-trolls. They had the appearance of rainbow trolls, complete with tall hair, colorful skin, and even more colorful outfits. But they had a unique gift: the ability to change into the form of wolves at will. Now, they were still troll-sized wolves, but they were predators nonetheless, and could easily fight off most of the creatures in the forest. When a wolf-troll changed into their wolf form, the color of their hair dictated the color of their fur. They wore clothes, which somehow magically disappeared when they changed to wolves and then reappeared when they were in troll form again.

Deep in the forest lived a pack of wolf-trolls led by their alpha, Peppy. The pack was undisturbed by the storm and simply took shelter in a large cave. Peppy did his rounds while in troll form: peach-colored skin, dark pink hair, and dark hazel eyes. He dressed in dark khaki pants and a teal vest. Peppy nodded in satisfaction at seeing his pack safe and sound, and he returned to his mate. Rosiepuff, Peppy's mate and second-in-command, had lavender skin and jade green hair, her eyes the same color as her hair. She wore a cream-colored dress and magenta shawl with pink hearts. Rosiepuff smiled up at Peppy, and he mirrored her grin. He came to sit beside her as she played with their toddler son. The wolf-troll boy had his mother's eyes and looked much like his father. Currently, he was in half-wolf form: he looked like a troll, but his ears were more pointed and furred, his fangs were showing, his snout began to show, and he even had a tail poking out of his shorts.

The pup bounded over to his father and leaped into Peppy's open arms. The alpha held his son close, rubbing the boy's head affectionately.

* * *

The rainbow troll couple were pushed ashore by the waves, and they spent the night on the beach. In the morning, they saw a wild and untamed forest. With nowhere else to go and both trolls unwilling to go back into the ocean, the little family was stuck where they were.

"We can make this work." The father assured.

The mother nodded agreement. "We should find shelter first. But where?" The baby in her arms fussed, wanting food. But they had to find it first. The troll couple started walking into the forest, scanning the trees. They brought so little with them. Luckily, the father studied flora and fauna in their home country, so he was able to find fruits they could eat. He went to retrieve those fruits so they could all eat. But they still had much to worry about. Both trolls had ideas on what creatures would be out here, but even knowing what _might_ be out there wouldn't be helpful when they had little to defend themselves.

"We need a high shelter." The father mused. "Something that will give us a bird's eye view."

The cooing of their baby caught the parents' attention. They saw the child trying to climb up a nearby tree. He wasn't nearly strong enough to do so. Curious as to what their son might be looking at, the parents climbed up into the tree. The mother held her son, and the two trolls climbed higher and higher. They went above the first layer of canopy and found another level of canopy made by the tree they climbed. There were plenty of branches, and the second canopy rested high above the rest of the treetops.

"It's perfect." The mother sighed in relief.

The father tousled the hair of his son. "Good boy."

* * *

Peppy, in the form of a dark pink-furred wolf, beamed proudly as his son easily transformed into his wolf form. Like his father, he had dark pink fur when in wolf form.

The pup barked excitedly as he galloped towards his father. Peppy crouched down, his tail wagging, and dodged the would-be attack. But Peppy's son did a quick turn and tackled his father, biting and tugging on Peppy's ear playfully. Peppy moaned dramatically and fell over "dead." The pup got off his father and sniffed him curiously. Peppy suddenly shot up and nuzzled his son lovingly. Laughing, the pup bounded over to his mother and went back to his troll form on the way.

He leaped into Rosiepuff's arms, and she pressed her forehead to his. This was a special form of communication between wolf-trolls. More intimate than a hug, and more meaningful than a kiss. The pup saw a butterfly and bounded after it excitedly. Rosiepuff and Peppy shook their heads and laughed.

* * *

The troll couple only had a few tools: a hammer, a serrated sword, some rope, and a tarp they found folded in the bottom of the boat. But with these, they could gather materials to make a home in the high canopy. They found leaves and branches to weave into hanging pods, like birdhouses. In one pod, they had beds. In another, they stored food. On a platform—built with wood resting on branches and glued together with tree sap—they made a small kitchen area. The mother even crafted cooking utensils, bowls, and pots and pans from hollowed-out animal skulls, seed shells, and shells she found on the beach.

In no time, they had their own little home in the forest. It was the start of a new life. A life of freedom for themselves and their son. The father, especially, had faith in his ability to keep the family safe from danger.

If only he knew the true dangers of the forest.

* * *

The wolf-trolls were arguably some of the strongest creatures in the forest. They had the physical prowess but also wisdom, cleverness, skill, speed, among other traits that made them excellent fighters and hunters.

There were few creatures who could match them. One of these was the felidala, a cat creature of similar size to the wolf-trolls. They had large, circular ears, stubby tails, non-retractable black claws, and grey fur with purple stripes. The felidala and wolf-trolls sometimes competed for territory and prey.

One such felidala was known as Zina. She was one of the best hunters of all the felidala clowders. But she did not often obey the laws of the forest. She killed to eat but also for pleasure. She liked the thrill of the chase and digging her claws into the flesh of her prey. Sometimes she killed just so she could get a taste of blood.

Tonight, she wanted a taste of wolf-troll blood.

Peppy and Rosiepuff—in the form of a dark pink wolf and a jade green wolf, respectively—curled up next to each other with their son tucked between them. The pup was also in his wolf form, dreaming peacefully.

Then, his ear twitched, and he blinked his eyes open to see another butterfly flittering past. His tail wagging excitedly, the pup leaped out from between his parents and darted after the butterfly. He snapped his jaws, trying to catch the insect.

Nearby, Zina stalked the pup. She stayed quiet save for a soft growl in her throat.

The pup yipped and giggled as he chased the butterfly.

Zina sped up as she came closer and closer to her prey.

The pup was blissfully unaware.

Zina leaped from the bushes.

The pup skidded to a halt and stared in horror as the felidala before him roared.

Peppy and Rosiepuff awoke at the sound of the roar, and they sprung to their feet when they heard the frightened screams and whimpers of their son. They sprinted through the forest, following the sound of their son's cries that were almost drowned by the startled calls of the birds in the trees. The pup ran for his life, Zina close behind him.

Peppy suddenly skidded to a halt, going from wolf to half-wolf in less than a second. His eyes widened when he heard what the birds were saying. He turned and grabbed his mate before she could continue running. He held her back despite her struggles, shaking his head slowly.

Rosiepuff shifted to half-wolf form, staring out into the forest. She no longer heard the shrieks of her child. Grief overwhelmed her, and she buried her face into the crook of Peppy's shoulder as she sobbed. Peppy held her close, his own eyes becoming teary.

A few days later, the pack moved on as they usually did. Peppy led the pack, staying in his wolf form for protection's sake. He glanced back to make sure nobody was left behind. As he did, he noticed Rosiepuff trailing behind them. She was in her troll form, her head down and basically trudging along. The death of her child hit her hard. Peppy mourned as well, but he had to put on the image of a strong leader. He was the alpha, after all. He also knew the best way to help his mate was to leave her alone. There was nothing he could say or do to make this better.

Rosiepuff felt numb to everything around her. No words can describe the grief of a mother who has lost her child. She rubbed her arm, feeling a sense of emptiness in her heart. She needed something to fill that emptiness. Something more than her own mate.

Suddenly, she froze. What was that? That sound. It was…a baby!

Rosiepuff knew it was dumb, but she broke away from the pack and just started running. She focused completely on the cries of the infant echoing over the land. Or maybe the sound just seemed to echo because of her sharp hearing. She remained so focused on the cries that she hardly noticed herself turning half-wolf, and then full-wolf. She followed the sound through the forest until she came to a tree much taller than the others in the forest. Rosiepuff ended up circling the tree and discovered it was the source of the sound. Changing back to her half-wolf form, she began to climb the tree. She reached the canopy, but the cries continued. She climbed higher, and she poked her head out from the top of the foliage. She looked up and saw another, higher canopy.

The cries came from inside.

* * *

 **A/N: Fun facts!**

 **Darknem is an anagram for "Denmark," the birthplace of the troll dolls! Some of you may remember the felidala from** _ **Poppy and the Grey Troll.**_


	2. Adopted

**Chapter Two – Adopted**

Rosiepuff stayed in her wolf form—the form that gave her better chances in a fight—as she climbed up to the pods. She poked her head into the largest of the pods. It was in complete disarray. Whoever or whatever lived in here, they were either awfully messy or caught in a vicious fight before she got there. Things Rosiepuff couldn't identify were strewn about the room. Rosiepuff sniffed the air a bit. She smelled blood, the blood of creatures she didn't recognize.

Cautious, Rosiepuff stepped inside. She looked all around. There was so much destruction in here. There was a hole in the wall where something either busted out or burst in. She stepped over a shiny, sharp object that had blood on it. What could've done all this? And who lived here?

Rosiepuff went into another nearby pod, this one half the size of the largest pod. She gasped softly at the sight. Two figures lay on the ground. They looked like a male and female wolf-troll. Rosiepuff went closer and sniffed the trolls. They certainly looked like her pack-mates when they were in troll form, but they didn't smell like wolf-trolls. Rosiepuff looked down at the spots of red on the ground.

They were paw prints….bloody paw prints….

Rosiepuff gasped and jumped back from the dead trolls. As she did, she heard something squeak under her paw, and she glanced downward. She apparently stepped on a small bear. She stepped on it again, and the bear squeaked. Rosiepuff sniffed it. She didn't recognize this creature, nor did she know if it were dead or alive. And why did it squeak? Since when did bears squeak?

Another cry sounded from across the room, and Rosiepuff's ears went erect as she looked up. The infant cries seemed to come from a cloth thing hanging from the ceiling. Rosiepuff went up on her hind legs and pulled on the cloth. It fell to the ground, hardly making a sound. The cloth bundle was full of blankets, which landed in a pile on the floor. Something covered by a blanket stirred and squirmed and fussed, clearly unhappy. Rosiepuff stared at the little creature, amazed to see something had survived whatever attacked this place. But what could this thing be? Slowly, she reached a paw into the nest of blankets and used her claws to gently pull the blanket off.

A troll baby lay underneath: cerulean skin, sapphire-colored hair, and icy blue eyes. He wore a white onesie. He rubbed his eyes when the light hit them, and he blinked a few times before staring up at the green wolf before him.

"Huh?" Rosiepuff tilted her head to one side in confusion.

"Eh?" the baby mimicked her.

Rosiepuff dipped her head down to sniff the baby. Like the dead ones in the middle of the floor, this little thing didn't smell like a wolf-troll. His hair was a bit longer than the trolls in her pack. She had never seen anything like it. The baby felt a tickle in his nose and sneezed right in Rosiepuff's face, making her jump back. She gave the baby a strange look.

The baby stared back, and quickly decided he liked the look of this creature. He started laughing and cooing, reaching for Rosiepuff.

Rosiepuff frowned and recoiled. She knew what this baby wanted, but she couldn't. She couldn't hold another child after losing her own. The best thing for her to do was to leave now. So Rosiepuff turned to walk from the pod home. She hopped out of the pod and onto the tree branch just outside.

The baby, upon seeing his friend try to leave, started fussing and whining again. That made Rosiepuff pause. Her motherly instincts were kicking in again. She fought to not turn around. She should just leave. Just walk away. Instead, her feet remained firmly planted on the floor. The baby's cries became grunts of effort, and this time Rosiepuff turned to see the infant trying to pull himself out of the pod house. But he lost his balance and suddenly took a tumble. Instinctively, Rosiepuff shifted to her troll form and dove forward to catch the baby and save him from harm. The baby laughed hysterically, reaching for Rosiepuff again.

Sighing in defeat, Rosiepuff sat cross-legged on the tree branch and let the child crawl around and explore. The baby decided it wanted to see Rosiepuff's hair, and so crawled right into her jade green locks. Rosiepuff frowned and reached into her hair, pulling the baby out by the ankle. The baby giggled madly, and Rosiepuff cracked a smile. Okay, so the kid was pretty cute. Rosiepuff shifted him so he lay across her arm with her palm cradling his head. The baby sucked on his knuckles, looking up to Rosiepuff innocently. Rosiepuff stared intensely at the baby. The infant cooed as he reached his hands out and patted Rosiepuff's face. The wolf-troll's heart began to melt, and she held one of the child's hands in her own. The baby giggled and sat up, almost falling before Rosiepuff could catch him again. He nuzzled closer to her, cooing affectionately.

That did it. Rosiepuff smiled softly and held the child close. She cradled him in her arms and rocked him slowly. The baby yawned and curled up closer to his new mother. Rosiepuff kissed his head, hugging him gently.

Rosiepuff froze. That smell. She knew that smell anywhere. Rosiepuff shifted to half-wolf form and snarled up at the rafters.

Zina growled back, crouched down and ready to pounce.

Rosiepuff kept the baby tucked in one arm as she darted away. Zina gave a chase, swiping her claws. Rosiepuff jumped up to avoid the felidala, determined to save this child when she couldn't save her own. Zina lunged forward and tackled Rosiepuff, sending them both tumbling off the tree branch. Rosiepuff shifted to wolf form halfway down and managed to land on her feet on another branch. She held the baby's onesie in her teeth, growling at Zina. The baby wasn't sure what to make of the commotion, staring at his wolf mother in what appeared to be awe.

Zina snarled as she prowled closer to the wolf-troll and troll baby. Rosiepuff gently set the baby down and stepped in front of him, growling with her hackles raised. Zina lunged, but Rosiepuff met her halfway and tackled her to the ground. The two of them bit and clawed at each other. But no matter how much Zina fought, Rosiepuff was determined to keep her away from the baby.

Rosiepuff managed to shove Zina off her and grabbed the felidala by her scruff, slamming her down again. But the force of Zina's body hitting the thinner part of the branch caused it to dip down. When it snapped back up, the branch threw the baby into the air. Rosiepuff and Zina watched as the baby flew overhead, giggling madly. The baby landed in an awning made from the tarp and started sliding down to another part of the tree.

Zina and Rosiepuff exchanged looks, and then darted after the baby.

Zina had the proper claws and physique to scale the side of the tree and up to the awning. Rosiepuff stayed right below the baby, who continued to laugh like crazy at the ride. He eventually flew off the end of the awning and squealed in delight as he soared. He landed right into a laundry basket full of clean clothes. Zina darted for the baby, only for Rosiepuff to come out of nowhere and tackle her to the ground.

Meanwhile, the baby quickly grew bored of the laundry and crawled out of the basket, toddling away to explore. When Rosiepuff managed to shove Zina aside, she hurried to the basket and discovered with a shock that the baby had disappeared. Zina pounced onto Rosiepuff, shoving the wolf-troll's snout into the laundry basket before bounding after the baby.

The baby troll found his way into the cooking area by tumbling through a skylight. He scuttled across a shelf, looking around at everything. Zina burst in through the main door and scanned the room for her prey. Instead of finding the baby, a pot fell from above and landed on her head. The troll baby was hardly aware of the fact that he knocked things over. He only knew that he was bored and wanted to keep exploring. So he kept crawling across the shelf, knocking over more pots and pans and dishes along the way. Every single one hit Zina in the head. The cat creature snarled in irritation.

Before long, the baby found a pretty flower, and he reached for it. He somersaulted down a thick vine and squealed gleefully as he slid down to a patio-like area covered by another awning. The baby giggled as he tumbled down onto the patio area. He saw a butterfly flutter above him, and he reached for the lovely creature.

Zina stumbled a bit through the tree, a pot still stuck on her head. She shook it off and searched for the baby. She would have that little child if it was the last thing she did. Zina finally caught sight of the child: just down below. Zina snarled and shot forward, ready to pounce on the infant.

Then, right before she could make it outside, a pan slammed just in her face.

Rosiepuff, in her troll form, smirked triumphantly and hurried to the baby. The little troll quickly lost interest in the butterfly and reached out to his mother. Rosiepuff scooped him up and held him close.

Suddenly, she heard snarling. Zina arrived on her branch again. The cat snarled and hissed, prowling closer to Rosiepuff and the baby. Rosiepuff looked around quickly. But the other branches were too far away for her to reach them. She glanced to the sea of tree foliage below. If she jumped, would the leafy branches cushion her fall? More importantly, would the baby be okay?

Zina didn't give her a chance to find another solution. The felidala lunged, and Rosiepuff held the baby close as she jumped. She shifted to her half-wolf form and held the baby's onesie in her teeth. Her claws caught some of the branches, slowing her fall. She dug her claws into the bark of the tree, and she skidded to a halt mere feet from the ground. Rosiepuff held the baby in one arm as she hid in a hole amongst some tree roots. The hole was covered by strong-smelling flowers, and Rosiepuff bounced the baby so it wouldn't fuss and alert Zina to their spot. Zina did arrive very soon. But she couldn't sniff out her prey. It took several minutes before Zina snarled in frustration and stalked away.

Rosiepuff poked her head out, and then inspected her new son. The baby was fine. Relieved, the beta wolf-troll disappeared into the forest.

* * *

When Peppy realized his mate had gone missing, he ordered the pack to double-back and start searching for her. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he worried greatly for her. Wolf-trolls mated for life, after all, and Peppy didn't want to lose both his son and his mate.

"I see her!" one of the pups called. "Over there!" The wolf-trolls looked, and they saw Rosiepuff appearing from behind a tree. Most of the wolf-trolls hurried over to check on their beloved matriarch. Peppy sighed softly in relief.

"Are you all right?" one of the wolf-trolls asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Rosiepuff said. She was lucky she didn't sustain many wounds from her fight with Zina. "I'm quite all right."

"What's that you got?" one of the pups asked, looking at the blue tuft of hair sticking out from the crook of Rosiepuff's arm.

Rosiepuff lowered her arm to show off her new son. "Oh, just the newest member of our pack."

The blue baby troll stared at the wolf-trolls, curiosity shining in his eyes. The wolf-trolls stared in confusion at the little baby. It looked like a lot of them when they took troll form, but at the same time it didn't. He was too small, and his hair too long. He didn't even smell right.

"Well, he's…..awfully cute….." one of the wolf-trolls admitted.

"Looks healthy enough." Another one nodded.

A wolf-troll pup with red skin and curly orange hair hopped onto a rock to get a better look at the baby. She shifted to half-wolf form and gave the baby a sniff. "He smells funny."

"Sukira!" the pup's mother scolded.

"Well he does!" Sukira protested. "He doesn't smell like a wolf-troll. And if he isn't a wolf-troll, what the heck is he?"

Rosiepuff chuckled, handing the baby to the young pup. "He's a puppy."

"Ow! Hey!" Sukira complained as she struggled to hold the squirming baby properly. Once she had, the baby became fascinated by her curls. Sukira giggled as the baby played with her hair. "So he's gonna live with us, huh?"

"Yes." Rosiepuff nodded.

"Are you going to take care of him?" Sukira asked. The baby reached for Rosiepuff, and Sukira handed him to the matriarch. "He seems to like you."

"Yes, indeed." Rosiepuff held the blue baby close. "I'm going to take care of him."

"That's great!" Sukira noticed the other wolf-trolls looking nervous. She turned and saw the alpha wolf-troll. Peppy soon arrived, and the wolf-trolls made a path for him. Still in his wolf form, he looked scary enough even without the new glare developing in his eyes, a glare he locked firmly onto the baby. Sukira gulped and scampered back to her mother.

Peppy stared intently at the child, sniffing it a few times. He growled in his throat. Rosiepuff kept her gaze gentle. "Peppy, I saved him from Zina."

The meaning of this was not lost on Peppy. He sighed and rubbed his head against his mate's. "Rose, it won't replace the one we lost."

"I know that." Rosiepuff assured. Nothing could truly replace her beloved child. That didn't mean she couldn't care for the adorable little boy in her arms. She grinned as she hugged him. "But we need a son, and he needs parents. I think it's meant to be."

Peppy wrinkled his snout in disgust. "Rosiepuff, you can't be serious. He's not like us. He doesn't look like he even belongs here."

"We'll teach him our ways, and he'll be fine." Rosiepuff assured.

"No." Peppy sighed. "No, you must take him back to where you found him."

Rosiepuff's eyes widened. "He'll die on his own!"

Peppy's tone became like a growl. "If the forest will have him—"

"He's a helpless child and you would leave him alone?" Rosiepuff demanded. "You think he'll last two seconds out there?"

"Rosiepuff, if you put this pack in danger…" Peppy growled for real this time.

"How does this look dangerous?" Rosiepuff demanded, holding the baby up to Peppy.

Peppy's snarl came out almost like a roar as he lunged for Rosiepuff. He stopped right in front of her just as she shifted to half-wolf. He growled, his eyes locked onto hers. The rest of the pack waited apprehensively. Peppy took a moment to really analyze his mate's gaze, and he saw she pleaded for him to reconsider. But he also saw that she was going to be stubborn on the matter.

Finally, the old alpha exhaled and relaxed. "There were no others with him? No other creatures who can care for him?"

"Zina killed his entire family. There is no one else." Rosiepuff confirmed. "I would not have taken him if his family weren't dead."

Peppy knew he was going to regret this. But if it made his beloved happy, he could tolerate this blue creature. "Very well. Keep it."

Rosiepuff finally smiled. "He'll be a good son and future alpha, Peppy. I'm sure of it."

"I said you could keep him." Peppy growled. "That does not make him my son or a suitable leader." Rosiepuff didn't answer beyond a disapproving frown. Peppy turned to his pack. "We will rest here for the night." He moved on, herding the wolf-trolls to a clear spot where they could sleep peacefully with him watching over them.

Rosiepuff watched them go, bouncing her fussing baby boy. "Well, I think it's about time you had a name." She thought about it for a moment, wondering what would be a suitable name after everything she went through to save him. Rosiepuff looked up to the tree branches. His home until she had found him. "How about…..Branch?"

The baby cooed and giggled. Rosiepuff laughed lightly, cradling her new son as she searched for a good place to sleep. She knew Peppy wouldn't want to spend the evening with the child, so she chose a comfortable spot a short distance away from the pack. She set the baby down on a comfortable section of grass and started gathering flower petals to make a bed for the child. Baby Branch watched in awe as his half-wolf mother dug her claws into the stalks of a flower and scaled it upwards to reach the petals. She slid down again and began arranging the petals to make a nest-like bed. Wanting to try it himself, Branch toddled over to the flower stalk and tried to climb it. But he didn't have the claws his mother did, and he tumbled and rolled backwards until he landed on his rear end. The baby's lower lip quivered, and he began to cry.

"Oh, there, there." Rosiepuff shushed, scooping up the babe. "Don't cry. I'm here. It's all right." She tried singing a lullaby, in hopes it would soothe him.

 _Hush now, my baby  
For now all is well  
I'll be right here  
when you wake_

 _Crickets are singing  
The stars come to play  
Close your eyes my darling  
The Sandman comes tonight_

The song seemed to soothe little Branch, and he held tight to Rosiepuff's hand as she moved back to their little bed. Night fell over the land soon enough, and the other wolf-trolls began to settle down to sleep. Rosiepuff lay Branch down and used one of the flower petals as a blanket, tucking him in as she continued the lullaby.

 _Precious little baby  
You're not alone  
I'm right here, darling  
to protect you_

 _You are my baby  
I'll always love you  
Nothing will harm you  
as long as I'm here_

Rosiepuff changed to her wolf form, to the awe of her son. Branch cooed and giggled as Rosiepuff pressed her forehead to his, and he nuzzled her head lovingly. Rosiepuff curled up close to Branch and tucked her front legs around him. He scooted closer to her, settling down to sleep with the song and Rosiepuff's heartbeat lulling him to sleep.

 _Come now, my baby  
Come rest your sweet head  
And I'll by right here  
when you wake_


	3. Cooper the Crazy Cria

**Chapter Three – Cooper the Crazy Cria**

In the morning, Rosiepuff awoke with the sun and yawned deeply. She stood and stretched her still-sleeping muscles, and even shook herself a little. She turned to awaken her son, but did a double-take when she saw her sleeping space amongst the tree roots lacking a certain blue wolf-troll.

"Branch?" Rosiepuff gasped, digging through the leaves she dragged over to make the bed more comfortable last night.

"Boo!"

Rosiepuff jumped and spun around to see her beloved little boy. The ten-year-old sported brown shorts held up with a green suspender, and he hung upside-down from a leaf on a nearby flower.

"Gotcha, Mom!" Branch laughed.

"Yes, yet again." Rosiepuff laughed softly, changing to her troll form just in time to catch her son when he jumped off the leaf. "You'll make quite the hunter."

"You better believe it!" Branch said, crawling onto Rosiepuff's head. "I've even been working on my howl!" He let out his best howl. It was a little high-pitched, and he accidentally tumbled out of Rosiepuff's hair. She caught him, laughed, and set him on the ground.

"Why don't you go work on your stealth a bit more?" Rosiepuff asked. "You can't catch prey if they hear you coming. Think you can catch some rodents to go with breakfast?"

"Yeah! I can do it!" Branch ran off, shouting "I can do it!" over and over again. Rosiepuff rolled her eyes and shook her head, still smiling all the while. She had faith in Branch's hunting abilities, especially at his age. But even if he didn't catch something for breakfast, this would keep him occupied while Rosiepuff went to find actual breakfast.

Branch, gleefully unaware, bounded and pounced and ran until he hit someone and fell backwards. He looked up to see who he ran into, only to see the stern expression of Peppy. Even in his troll form, with his wild hair and unkempt mustache, he looked rather menacing.

"Whoops." Branch said sheepishly. He discovered long ago that the leader of his pack didn't like him. This little slip-up just seemed to make things worse.

"Branch!"

The blue troll yelped when a familiar friend tackled him: a red-skinned troll with curly orange hair and rosy eyes, dressed in capris and a crop top. "There you are! I have been looking everywhere for you, you little rascal!" The pup looked to Peppy. "Oh, thank you, Peppy! Such a wise and caring alpha, you found him in no time! Thank you so much!"

Peppy went to his half-wolf form and growled at the pups.

The red pup laughed nervously. "Bye!" She ran off, dragging Branch behind her. She pulled him behind a tree and bonked him on the head with her fist. "Branch, are you nuts?"

"What, Suki?" Branch complained.

Sukira—or Suki, as her friends commonly called her—rolled her eyes at her friend. "When are you going to learn? If you want Peppy to like you, stay away from him."

Branch huffed and rolled his eyes. He knew this already. "He ran into me! Not my fault."

"Yeah, sure." Suki scoffed.

"Yo, Suki!" a wolf-troll pup called as he and a couple other pups bounded past. One of them, Guy Diamond, had glitter skin, white hair sprinkled with sparkles, gray-blue eyes, and a green nose. The second pup stood a little taller and was a little rounder than his playmates: blue skin, pale blue hair, light blue eyes, and wearing purple shorts and a vest. His name was Biggie. The third pup was much shorter, and had yellow skin, blue hair, and wore a pink dress. She went by the name of Smidge. The fourth pup, Fuzzbert, was really more hair than troll: a tuft of lime green hair on a pair of orange legs. Nobody really saw his head or eyes. Even in wolf form, his fur was long enough that some of it covered his eyes.

"Let's go!" Smidge called.

"We're headed for the waterfalls!" Biggie added.

"Okay, I'm coming!" Suki called.

Branch brightened up. "Hey Suki! Can I come?"

Suki paused. "Well, it's going to take quite a bit of time…and I wouldn't want you to get tired since…..you know, you can't…..run…..fast..…." She forced a chuckle before shifting to her wolf form and bounding after her friends. Suki had quite the unique coat. Not only was it a bright orange like her hair, it was also curly like her colorful locks.

Branch frowned dejectedly. He wasn't surprised by Suki's comments. He was considered a runt of sorts. He was smaller than the other wolf-trolls, and he couldn't transform into a wolf yet. He couldn't even go half-wolf. Even though his pack-mates liked him and often played with him, they were also guilty of treating him differently thanks to his differences.

The blue child put on a look of determination. He would _not_ be left behind this time.

* * *

Guy Diamond, Biggie, Fuzzbert, and Smidge found a cool hangout spot: a small beach at a water area, complete with a waterfall across from them. While Smidge braided Fuzzbert's hair, Guy Diamond and Biggie were in their wolf forms and wrestling playfully.

"Hey y'all!" Suki hopped from the bushes and struck a fancy pose in her half-wolf form. "You miss me?"

"Where have you been?" Smidge asked, a bit annoyed like the other pups. Not that they couldn't have fun on their own, but Suki was their unspoken leader. Things were just more fun with her around.

"I just had to take care of something before I left." Suki shrugged. "No worries."

No sooner did she say that did a familiar face burst from the bushes and accidentally run into her. The shove sent Suki flying into her friends and they ended up in a dog pile. Branch, with twigs stuck in his hair, smiled goofily.

"Hi guys." He greeted.

"Seriously, Suki?" Guy Diamond complained. Fuzzbert huffed in irritation, shaking his hair out so it stood straight again.

"Tell me this isn't true. How did the runt of the litter find us?" Smidge whined.

Branch pulled the twigs from his hair. "Suki said I could come."

Suki cringed as her friends began whining. The children didn't really mean to be cruel, but Branch really was a runt. He couldn't keep up or play the way a normal wolf-troll pup could, try as he may. Suki had to prove to her friends that Branch was good enough to hang out with them. She couldn't really do that now unless she thought of something quickly. She didn't have that kind of time. So she went for the fallback option of getting rid of Branch so she and her friends could do what they wanted without worrying about him.

"Guys, I got this." Suki whispered to her friends. She walked to Branch and put an arm around his shoulder, walking a short distance from the other pups. "Look, Branch, you know I love to hang with you. But the rest of the pups? We work like all wolf-trolls. You're the son of the matriarch, so you gotta prove yourself to us. You may be our alpha someday. But we need to know it for sure."

Branch nodded in understanding. It made sense to him that he should prove himself. He didn't realize he was basically being duped by his supposed friend. "So what do I do?"

Suki paused. She hadn't thought that far ahead. She thought Branch would just give up. "Uh…..well….you have to…..you have to…" She lit up with an idea, and she smirked. "You gotta go catch a flozznap."

"A flozznap?" Branch repeated. "What the heck is a flozznap?"

"It's a strange and dangerous creature. Long neck. Rubbery legs. Hair all twisted and tangled." Suki said whatever came to mind. "It has the power to infiltrate our dreams and drive us insane with nightmares."

"You're not serious." Branch scoffed. "What kind of creature is that? Does it even exist?"

"Dude, we're trolls who turn into wolves." Suki pointed out. As though to prove her point, Guy Diamond turned to a troll, Biggie turned to a wolf, and Smidge went half-wolf.

"Good point." Branch mused. "So if I find this flozznap and bring it back here and you guys will let me hang out with you?"

"Yep." Suki nodded.

"I'm on it! I can do that!" Branch said. "You can count on me!" He darted into the bushes.

"See?" Suki smiled triumphantly at her friends. "I told you. Just leave it to—"

Suddenly, Branch jumped form the bushes and pounced on Suki. "Where does the flozznap live?" Branch asked.

Suki sighed. "That way." She pointed in a random direction, and Branch bounded off.

* * *

In another part of the forest marched a line of llamas. Like the wolf-trolls, the llamas were colorful in looks. The llamas had long legs that were hairless, with round-ish bodies and long necks covered in fur. The hair on their heads was a bit longer than the fur on the rest of their bodies. They sometimes styled this hair. The llamas were normally peaceful creatures, and their leader led them like a military general.

One llama was missing, though, breaking rank once again.

This was a cria, only about eleven years old, with sky blue legs, pink fur, and dark pink stripes on his neck. His hair he kept in blue dreadlocks at all times so he didn't have to worry about styling it. He had bright blue eyes. Oddly enough, and very unlike the other llamas in his herd, the young llama wore a semi-poufy green hat. The cria danced and rocked out to his own music, singing an upbeat song as he moved and grooved.

Suddenly, the cria slammed into someone and fell to the ground. He looked up and saw the llama leading the herd. This llama had bright red fur and brown eyes the color of dirt. His near-neon blue hair was in a professional buzz cut. He glared down at the cria while the rest of the llamas waited patiently to continue their march.

The cria gulped. "Sorry, Dad."

"Get back in line, Cooper." The lead llama ordered.

"Yes, sir." Cooper ducked his head down and took his place behind his father.

Cooper's father shook his head as he resumed the march. "This is not the first time you have broken rank."

"I know." Cooper said. "I just had a song in my heart that I had to get out! I had a beat so I moved my feet!"

"We do not move our feet to the beat." Cooper's father snapped.

Cooper ducked his head down again, his ears drooping. "Okay."

"My son, how can I expect you to lead this herd effectively when you can't even follow simple directions?" Cooper's father chided.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Cooper said.

"You say you're sorry but you don't mean it." Cooper's father scolded. "Otherwise you wouldn't keep doing it."

"I just can't help it." Cooper protested.

"You had better learn." Cooper's father snapped.

Cooper didn't say anything else and stared at the ground as they kept marching. He never had a great relationship with his father. After his mother died from Zina's attack, Cooper lost his only defense against his father's verbal and oftentimes physical abuse.

 _I just want to be me. Is that so wrong?_ Cooper thought.

* * *

Once Branch got over the mishap with the tree, he headed off to find the flozznap. Long neck. Rubbery legs. Hair all twisted and tangled. That's what Suki told him. He just had to keep looking. He made a mental checklist of everything Rosiepuff taught him so far about hunting. Search for tracks or signs of the animal. Follow their scents. Branch hadn't received many hunting lessons quite yet. He still wasn't old enough to really start hunting for the pack. But if he could make use of the tracking skills he already had, maybe he could find this flozznap and earn his place amongst his pack-mates.

Branch saw some paw prints in the dirt and crouched down so low he was almost lying face-down on the forest floor. He sniffed the paw prints, catching the scent of the creature. When he couldn't catch the scent well enough, he tried just analyzing the paw print. It looked almost like his own foot print. Branch looked around, and he spotted something sticking to the bark of a nearby tree. He plucked some bring pink hairs from the bark.

"Where'd these come from?" Branch murmured. Suddenly, a twig snapped nearby, and Branch dove behind a large rock to hide. He climbed up to peer over the top of the rock as a creature emerged from the bushes.

Wait, no, it was _dancing_ out of the bushes. And singing.

Branch watched the creature move. It had a roundish body and a long neck, with pink fur and dark pink stripes on its neck. It also wore a green hat, and had blue legs and blue hair that looked all tangled.

 _Long neck. Twisted and tangled hair._ Branch watched the creature dance. Its movement was quite limber and crazy. _Rubbery legs. That must be the flozznap!_ Branch followed the flozznap as it kept moving. He stalked the creature to a small creek, where it paused to take a drink. Branch crouched down in the bushes. Thankfully, Rosiepuff taught him about pouncing already. His muscles tensed up, and he prepared to lunge forward. He remained silent and still for a moment.

With a mighty pounce, Branch lunged forward and tackled the flozznap. Except the force of his pounce sent both him and the pink creature into the creek. The two of them sputtered and coughed as they surfaced, and Branch quickly jumped on the creature's back and hugged its neck.

"Gotcha!" Branch cheered.

"Don't eat me!" the creature yelped.

Branch quickly released the creature, still sitting on its back. "I'm not."

"You aren't?" The creature suddenly bucked Branch off his back, tossing the pup onto the shore. "Then why were you stalking me?"

"I'm sorry. I had to catch a flozznap to prove to my pack-mates that I can hang out with them." Branch said, shaking himself to get rid of the water.

The creature hopped out of the creek and shook himself too. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not a flozznap. I'm a llama."

"Oh." Branch rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. I'm getting the feeling my pack-mates sent me on a wild goose chase."

"Pack-mates. So you're a wolf-troll." The llama guessed. "No wonder you could sneak up on me so easily. You got the makings of a good hunter."

Branch grinned. "Thanks. Of course, I didn't want to hurt you. I was going to let you go after I showed my friends that I could find and catch you."

"I appreciate that you didn't want to eat me." The creature laughed. "My name's Cooper."

"I'm Branch." Branch introduced. "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's mine." Cooper nodded. "When I left to search for dangers, I didn't think I'd find a friendly wolf-troll pup."

"What do you mean?" Branch asked.

"Well, you guys are predators, aren't you?" Cooper said.

"I guess." Branch bobbed his head. "But we've never hunted llamas. At least I've never seen us hunt llamas."

"Whew." Cooper sighed in relief. "That's good to know."

"Yeah, I don't think I could hunt you after this." Branch said. "You're pretty cool. And your singing and those dance moves were awesome!"

"Thanks!" Cooper said, his chest puffing up with pride. "You sing very much?"

"I love to sing. My entire pack does." Branch said. "You and my friend Suki would get along well."

Cooper grinned broadly. For the first time, someone actually recognized—no, _praised_ his musical talents. "So your pack-mates sent you on a wild goose chase, huh?" Cooper said.

"They wanted me to prove to them that I was cool enough to hang out with them." Branch sighed. "Guess I really made a fool out of myself, huh?"

Cooper developed a mischievous smile. "Maybe not."


	4. New Friends

**Chapter Four – New Friends**

"No, no, no!" Smidge face-palmed. "It's all wrong!"

Suki, Guy Diamond, Biggie, and Fuzzbert collapsed from their frozen dance positions, exhausted. "Come on, Smidge." Suki complained. "That's the tenth time we've done that song." Wolf-trolls liked to sing, but this impromptu rehearsal proposed by Smidge tired the pups out quicker than a ten-mile run.

"Would you just tell us how you want it to look instead of making us redo it over and over again until it's right?" Guy Diamond begged. Fuzzbert, in his wolf form, whined pitifully.

"But I don't know how I want it to look!" Smidge sighed. "Come on, one more time."

"Let's play a new game." Biggie suggested.

"Like what?" Guy Diamond asked.

A scream made them all jump, and Branch darted past them.

"Run for your lives!" Branch shouted. "It's the flozznap!"

"Oh ha, ha." Suki rolled her eyes. "Figured us out, huh?"

A horrible sound—like a roar crossed with a bloodcurdling scream—erupted from behind the pups, and they spun around to see a horrendous creature with thick green fur and horns. It looked to be a round, thick-furred creature with two gaping holes where its eyes ought to be. The creature shook as it roared again, and the pups screamed as they ran for it.

"Wait for us, Branch!" Guy Diamond called. The pups soon spotted their friend waving them over from his spot in front of a hole resting at the roots of a tree. The pups dived into the hole and hid while the flozznap roared and tried to get in after them. Luckily, it was too big to fit. Unluckily, the monster wasn't about to give up anytime soon.

"What the heck is that thing?" Smidge demanded.

"The flozznap, I think." Branch said.

"Great job, Branch!" Biggie complained.

"Hey, you're the ones who said if I found it, I could hang out with you." Branch snapped.

"We did say that." Suki groaned. She screamed when the monster attacked the entrance of the hole again.

"What do we do?" Guy Diamond whimpered, he and Fuzzbert hugging each other in fear.

"Okay, nobody panic." Branch said. "I'll go out there and lead it away while you run!"

"What?" Suki demanded. "Are you crazy?"

"Just trust me!" Branch pleaded.

"No, we're not letting you do that!" Suki denied.

"Yeah, you'll be killed!" Smidge agreed.

"That's a risk I have to take!" Branch suddenly disappeared as the monster grabbed him by the hair and yanked him out of the hole. He shouted in terror, and the pups screamed as they hugged each other.

"Oh my gah!" Smidge shouted.

"He's being eaten!" Biggie screamed.

"Oh man!" Suki ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm so sorry, Branch! I never should've sent you to find that stupid flozznap!"

Guy Diamond sniffled. "I can still hear his cute little laughs."

Suki shifted to half-wolf form, her ears twitching. "Wait a minute. I do too." Curious, the pups went to the hole and poked their heads out. What they saw made their jaws drop.

"You should've seen the looks on your faces!" Branch held his stomach, unable to really speak properly since he was so out of breath from laughing. The flozznap laughed too, only it sounded like a child.

"Branch, you little punk!" Guy Diamond growled. "Who or what is that?"

"My new friend." Branch said.

The "flozznap" shook itself vigorously, and the fur turned out to be leaves that fell away to reveal a young llama with a pair of stick horns stuck behind his ears. He shook those off too. "Hey there!" the llama greeted. "The name's Cooper."

The pups waved awkwardly. "Hello….."

"Branch…." Suki growled in irritation.

"Serves you right." Branch shrugged.

"He's got a point there." Biggie said.

"Yeah, we did kind of bring this on ourselves." Smidge said. Fuzzbert sighed and nodded in agreement.

Suki face-palmed. She cast a look to Branch, who shrugged innocently. After a moment, she smiled. "Okay, I'm still super mad at you. But I have to admit: that was a slick move you pulled."

Branch took a bow, smirking triumphantly. Cooper laughed and nudged him playfully. "You should've seen him. He was silent like the dead, and he snuck right up behind me and tackled me!"

"Wow. Not bad for someone who only had a few hunting lessons." Guy Diamond said, obviously impressed

"You guys should've heard Cooper sing. And his dance moves are pretty sweet too." Branch said.

"Well, it's not much." Cooper said sheepishly.

"Come on, don't be shy!" Branch said encouragingly. "Show us what you were doing before."

Cooper shifted nervously. "Uh, I don't know….."

"You didn't look so scared back there." Branch raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I didn't think anyone was watching." Cooper murmured.

Branch smiled warmly, and decided his friend needed a little help. He started singing what he heard Cooper sing, doing a little dance as he did. Branch stared at Cooper in a way to invite him to continue the music. The rest of the pups looked curious and excited at the same time. Cooper exhaled slowly and started to sing. Branch and the rest of the pups joined in as Cooper sang with more emotion, and even began to dance crazily like he did before.

Cooper suddenly froze, remembering how he slammed into his father the last time he did this. He ducked his head down and backed up, even when he knew no punishment would come this time. The wolf-troll pups trailed off in their singing and dancing when they realized Cooper had stopped.

"Cooper?" Branch came up to the cria and looked into his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry." Cooper sighed. "My dad…..he doesn't really like it when I do this."

"Why not?" Suki asked.

"Because he leads our herd like we're soldiers." Cooper sat down and stared at the ground. "And he expects me to lead the herd in the same way when I take over. But I don't want to do that. I don't even want to lead the herd. I just want to sing and dance and be myself. Why is that so wrong?" He ducked his head down and squeezed his eyes shut. He suddenly felt embarrassed at these pups seeing him upset.

Hating to see his new friend so sad, Branch scooted closer and put a comforting hand on Cooper's back. He was surprised when Cooper flinched. "I'm not going to hit you, Cooper."

Cooper's ears lowered. "I…I know….."

Fuzzbert, in his wolf form, growled a little, and Cooper flinched again. "No, it's okay." Guy Diamond assured, translating Fuzzbert's growls. "He just knows that someone else has hit you. A lot. And that makes him mad."

"Who hits you?" Suki demanded.

Cooper wouldn't look at any of them. "Nobody….."

Suki didn't like that answer. She was still in half-wolf form, and she snarled. "Cooper, abuse of a child is strictly forbidden by our alpha. If you're being abused, you need to say so."

Tears leaked out of Cooper's eyes. "My dad….he…he likes to hit me….he says I deserve it…"

"You don't deserve to be punished for being yourself." Branch assured.

"What your dad does isn't right." Biggie agreed firmly.

"Doesn't your mom do anything about it?" Smidge asked.

Cooper sniffled. "She died. Long time ago." He let out a shuddering sigh. "I don't care if my dad loves me. But if he would just accept me. I don't want to keep trying to prove myself to him."

Branch stood up to better reach Cooper's face, and he gently wiped the llama's eyes dry. "Cooper, you don't have to prove anything to him." He searched for the right words to comfort his friend. "At least you don't have to prove yourself to your entire herd."

Cooper sniffled again. "What do you mean?"

"Let's face it: I caught you based on luck and luck alone." Branch sighed. "I'm not really a great wolf-troll. I'm the runt of the litter, and it seems like nothing I do can change the fact that I'm different from everybody."

"He's got a point there." Suki admitted regretfully. "But you know, Branch, I was wrong to send you on a wild flozznap chase."

"You know you don't really have to prove anything to us." Guy Diamond said.

"I have to prove it to Peppy, though." Branch said. He looked back to Cooper and grinned albeit sadly. "But you don't have to prove anything to your dad. You can leave your herd."

"But where will I go?" Cooper asked. "Who will be there for me?"

"I will." Branch said. "I promise I will always be there."

"We'll be there too." Suki said. The other pups nodded enthusiastically.

Cooper finally smiled nuzzling her head against Branch's lovingly. Branch laughed and hugged the llama. Cooper's grin widened. "You know, you shouldn't have to prove anything to anyone either."

"But everyone looks at me differently." Branch protested. "Singing and dancing like you do isn't as weird as a runt of the litter who can't do things normal wolf-trolls can." Branch sighed. "I just wish I wasn't so different."

Cooper nudged him and stood up. The other pups followed suit. "I like that you're different." Cooper told Branch. "And you shouldn't be afraid of being different. Besides, you already do pretty well with hunting, so you're on the right track!"

"I told you, that was luck." Branch protested.

"You think so?" Cooper bounded a few feet away and jumped up onto a rock. He made silly faces at the pups. "Catch me if you can, wolf-troll!"

"You better run fast!" Guy Diamond shifted to his wolf form and howled. The other pups did the same and looked to Branch.

"Come on, Branch." Suki urged. "Lead the charge!"

Branch stared up at Cooper, and he smiled. "Let's go!" He laughed as he darted after Cooper, the wolf-form pups close behind. Cooper took off running, laughing all the while. The pups whooped and laughed as they chased the llama, not really taking the playful hunt seriously. It improved the mood and atmosphere, so that was enough for them.

Cooper soon disappeared and then reappeared running next to Branch, and he began to sing. Suki came up on the other side of Branch and shifted to her half-wolf form, continuing the song as they ran. Very soon, the rest of the pups joined in the song as they bounded and jumped and danced through the forest.

Branch's smile stretched from ear to ear, touched that his friends were now so supportive. When they stopped for a breather at a creek, he noticed Cooper staring at his reflection with a rather dejected gaze. Branch was quick to shift the song's focus, resuming the dance/run through the forest. As they ran and danced through the forest, singing their hearts' out, each child saw a bit of themselves in the song. They saw that they had plenty more to learn about themselves, but as long as they kept true to who they were, they would know how to be themselves without fear.

By the end of the song, the kids were thoroughly tired out and collapsed in a clearing. They laughed some more, out of breath but smiling all the while.

"You guys are pretty cool." Cooper said. "Thanks for being my friends."

"Well you're pretty cool yourself." Suki said.

"Yeah, you should hang out with us more often." Biggie said.

Cooper looked a little nervous. "Uh, I don't have to go home just yet, do I?"

"Not if you don't want to." Smidge shrugged.

"Yeah, let's play tag!" Guy Diamond said. The other pups agreed.

"Branch is It!" Suki said.

"Then you better run!" Branch challenged.

The other pups and Cooper laughed as they ran, Branch close behind them. He zeroed in on Cooper and went down on all fours to dart after the llama. Cooper laughed as Branch chased him. The boisterous boys zigzagged through the trees and leaped over roots. Branch felt his heart race, and he smiled with glee. In two bounds, he lunged forward and tackled Cooper to send both of them tumbling to the ground.

"Oh no!" Cooper cried dramatically. "He's got me!" He made his worst groaning noise as he fell over "dead."

Branch laughed. "I got you, Cooper!"

Cooper's smile disappeared and his head shot up. His ears twitched like crazy as he scanned the forest. Branch stared at him worriedly. He opened his mouth to ask what was the matter, but Cooper shushed him. Cooper pressed his ear to the ground, and then he stared off in one direction. Branch followed his gaze.

The llama herd burst from the underbrush, heading right for the boys!

Cooper and Branch scrambled to get out of the way of the stampede, and Branch had to tackle Cooper again to get him out of the way. The llama stampede continued on, leaving the boys panting heavily from fear.

"Guys!" Suki called as she and the pups caught up with Branch and Cooper. "Are you all right?"

"We're fine." Branch still breathed heavily. "What was that?"

"It looked like my herd." Cooper panted.

"You guys ran right through them." Smidge said. "I think you accidentally started a stampede!"

"We should follow them!" Biggie urged.

"Yeah, make sure they don't hurt anyone!" Guy Diamond agreed.

"Then let's go!" Branch started to run after the herd, only for something big and red to run by and slam its head against the boy, tossing him aside.

"Dad." Cooper paled at the sight of his _very_ angry father.

* * *

If Peppy was anything, he was protective of his pack. He long since learned to fight when in any form, be it wolf or troll or in-between. He spent much of his time watching over his pack, even more so after the death of his son. In his troll form, he strolled through his pack as the wolf-trolls lounged and played. Everything seemed to be in order, except some of the pups had yet to return. That included…..Branch…

The alpha sighed through his nose at the thought of the little troll thing his mate adopted. He could never see the little runt as his son. Peppy did wonder, however, how long it would take before Branch figured out he wasn't really a wolf-troll.

…..what was that?

Peppy shifted to half-wolf without even realizing it, a habit of his when his highly developed senses picked up on something amiss. He heard a thundering in the ground and the shaking of leaves and shrubbery. It soon became very clear wat came towards them.

"Everyone move!" Peppy's shout made everyone snap up to attention. Now in wolf form, Peppy's gaze and tone became filled with urgency. _"Stampede!"_

Just as he finished saying that, Rockwell's llama herd emerged from the underbrush. The colorful creatures cried out in fear as they ran, and the wolf-troll pack rushed to get out of their way. Mothers and fathers herded their pups to safety. Rosiepuff used the claws of her half-wolf form to climb into the branches of a bush. Peppy dove aside as the llamas thundered past them. His eyes locked onto a young pup frantically trying to escape the trampling llama feet around him. Peppy growled and darted forward, grabbing the pup by its scruff and taking it out of the stampede. The alpha shifted to half-wolf form and held the pup close as he stood well out of the stampede's way. The llama herd continued on. Hopefully they would be calm soon enough.

"Thank you, Peppy." The mother of the rescued pup said, taking her child and cradling him close.

Peppy only nodded in response, and he glared in the direction the stampede came. He had a sinking feeling he knew who was responsible.

* * *

Rockwell may have been a llama, but that didn't change how fearsome he looked right now. The head of the llama herd snorted and pawed at the ground.

"You dare to hunt my herd, mutt?" Rockwell growled.

"Dad, wait!" Cooper scrambled to his feet and hurried to his father. "It's not like that!"

"Stay out of this!" Rockwell suddenly kicked his legs back and hit Cooper across the face, sending him to the ground.

Anger boiled in Branch's veins. "Leave him alone!" He lunged for Cooper's father, but the older llama swung his head around and knocked Branch back again. Suki, Guy Diamond, Biggie, Smidge, and Fuzzbert hurried to his side. They shifted to their wolf forms and growled at Rockwell.

"Dad, just stop!" Cooper pleaded. His father wouldn't listen, and he charged for the wolf-troll pups.

Then, a larger wolf soared over the pups and tackled Rockwell. Cooper stumbled as he dodged the two fighting figures, and he rushed to his friends. They stared at the creature who saved them as she and Rockwell circled each other.

"Who's that?" Cooper asked.

"My mom." Branch breathed.

The green wolf raised her hackles and snarled at Rockwell. He pawed the ground again and charged for Rosiepuff, but she met him halfway and took him to the ground in a single strike. Rosiepuff snarled again.

"Don't _ever_ touch my son." She growled.

"Your son hunted my herd!" Rockwell growled back, shoving Rosiepuff off him. "I'll kill him for that!"

Rosiepuff made sure she stood between the llama and the kids. "Touch them and _I_ will kill _you_."

Rockwell snorted and charged. Rosiepuff quickly pounced on him, and their brief wrestling match ended with her pinning him to the forest floor. Branch stared in shock, a look shared by his friends. He couldn't remember when he saw his mother so ferocious.

A loud, crisp bark echoed through the air and caught everyone's attention, and they turned to see a familiar alpha wolf with his pack behind him.

Peppy shifted to half-wolf form as he marched forward. His furious glare was locked onto Rockwell. Rosiepuff stepped back and changed to her troll form as she tended to the children.

"What is the meaning of this?" Peppy growled.

Rockwell stood, putting on a façade of dignity. "One of your little mutts was hunting my herd."

"That's not true!" Branch shouted.

"Yeah!" Suki said firmly.

Peppy cast them a glare, and the children fell silent again. Peppy stared at Cooper's father. "My pack knows to not hunt the llama herds, Rockwell." His gaze shifted to Cooper, who suddenly felt much smaller under the wolf-troll alpha's eyes. "You there. Boy. Come here."

Cooper's knees knocked together in fear. "Y-yes sir?"

"What happened here?" Peppy demanded.

"Uh…." Cooper gulped.

"Tell them, Son." Rockwell ordered. "Tell them how that little wolf-troll pup was hunting you."

Cooper opened and closed his mouth a few times. He glanced to Branch and the other pups, who nodded encouragingly. Branch mouthed, _Be brave._ Cooper exhaled slowly and stood a little straighter as he looked to Peppy. "Those pups there…..they're my friends…"

"He's lying!" Rockwell growled.

Peppy shot him a glare, and Rockwell backed away in fear. Peppy softened his gaze a bit when he looked to Cooper. "Continue."

"We met out in the forest." Cooper said, steadily growing braver. "And they became my friends in a few heartbeats because they accept me. They care about me. I'm not afraid of them like I am of my father."

"Why are you afraid of your father?" Peppy asked. Rockwell looked ready to run, but some of the other wolf-trolls blocked his path.

"H-he hits me….." Cooper struggled to keep his tears in. It embarrassed him greatly to cry in front of Peppy. But he inhaled shakily and kept going. "My dad hits me when he thinks it's necessary. But I never know or understand why. I don't know what I did wrong. I was only trying to be myself. Why is that wrong?"

"You ungrateful little—" Whatever Rockwell would say, he didn't get to finish it. Peppy turned and swiped his claws against the llama's snout. Rockwell cringed and cowered under Peppy's gaze. Nobody else spoke, waiting tensely for Peppy to deal out his punishment. The pups were shielded by their parents to avoid witnessing something horrific. Cooper backed up, and Branch came to stand beside him. He smiled comfortingly, and Cooper began to grin as well.

Peppy stepped closer to Rockwell. "I am alpha of this pack. We rule this part of the forest. All creatures great and small follow the laws of the forest in order to keep the balance. Those who do not follow those laws are seen as monsters, and my pack hunts down those monsters without remorse. As ruler of this part of the forest—this area that stretches as far as the trees grow—I uphold these laws and enforce them without any exceptions. I only create other laws in order to assure justice to all who may be accidentally overlooked." Peppy's fiery glare made Rockwell tremble. "My laws are very strict regarding the abuse of a child. The punishment is one I will personally execute."

Rockwell shook so much that his knees buckled, and he knelt before the alpha. "Please have mercy."

"I don't see why I should." Peppy growled. He looked to his mate. "Rosiepuff, what say you?"

"I say he should be torn to shreds and fed to the Bergens beyond Ghostly Gorge." Rosiepuff said. Rockwell gulped. His fear for Rosiepuff matched his fear for her mate. Rosiepuff looked to Cooper. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No." Cooper shook his head.

"And your mother?" Rosiepuff asked.

"She's been gone for years." Cooper answered.

Rosiepuff mulled over the thought. After a tense moment of silence, she looked back to Rockwell. "It would be irresponsible and equally unjust to kill an alpha and leave a herd without a leader. I believe your life should be spared on two conditions, with Peppy's approval."

Peppy nodded slowly. "What are those conditions?"

"First, Rockwell, you will find your herd, and a new heir will be chosen by my mate." Rosiepuff said. "Second, you will relinquish custody of your son to our pack. You will never lay claim to him again."

Rockwell shook—out of fear or anger, nobody knew—but reluctantly nodded. "If that is what the alpha Peppy wishes."

"I agree to my mate's conditions." Peppy said. "Now go. Find your herd."

Rockwell kept his head down as he slunk away. He didn't even look to Cooper as he disappeared into the forest to find his runaway herd. Cooper felt as though a great weight flew off him, and he happily accepted the hugs from Branch, Suki, Biggie, Smidge, Guy Diamond, and Fuzzbert.

Branch locked eyes with Cooper. "You're my brother now. Don't ever forget that."

Cooper used his front legs to pull Branch in for a tight hug. "Thank you, Branch. Thank you so much."

"What caused that stampede?" Peppy demanded, his furious glare now locked onto the pups and Cooper. The children shrunk down a little in fear and shame. Peppy still glared at each one of them, though his gaze lingered on Branch. "Well?"

Branch sighed and stepped forward. "It was my fault, Peppy. We were playing and I guess we startled the herd."

"You guess?" Peppy growled so fiercely that Branch jumped back. "You almost killed someone!"

"It was an accident." Branch whimpered, hiding behind Rosiepuff as she came to his defense.

"Peppy, he didn't know the laws of hunting." Rosiepuff said. "He's only a child."

"That's no excuse!" Peppy snarled. "You can't keep defending him, Rosie!"

"But he'll learn." Rosiepuff protested.

"He will never learn!" Peppy argued. "He can't hunt. He can barely keep up when we run. He can't even change to a wolf!"

Rosiepuff also had a habit of shifting to her half-wolf form when she was mad, as she was now. "If you would just give him a chance—"

"Give him a chance?" Peppy interrupted. "Rosie, just look at him! He will _never_ be part of this pack!"

"Peppy!" Rosiepuff growled in a scolding tone. The alpha's words hit Branch hard, and he suddenly turned and ran off. Rosiepuff stared after him. "Branch!" But the pup didn't listen. Rosiepuff glared at Peppy, but he didn't drop his own glare as he turned and herded the pack towards a place for them to rest for the night. Rosiepuff shook her head and followed Branch. She knew he needed space, but she had to keep an eye on him.

Suki, Cooper, and the other pups stared after Branch in concern. "What's this all about?" Cooper asked. "I mean, Branch will learn to be a wolf-troll like the rest of you, right?"

"Of course he will." Suki affirmed.

"He's just…a late bloomer, I guess." Biggie said.

Truthfully, none of the pups could understand why Branch, who learned the ways of the wolf-trolls so well and so quickly, could not transform as they could.

* * *

Night fell over the forest, and Branch still hadn't gotten over what Peppy said. He just couldn't understand it. He was a wolf-troll, born and bred in the forest. So why is it he couldn't seem to grasp the basics of _being_ a wolf-troll? If he could just turn into a wolf or even go half-wolf, maybe that would show Peppy he _did_ belong in the pack.

Branch currently knelt on the banks of a stream. He stared at his reflection in the water, illuminated by the moonlight. Once again, he saw the subtle differences between him and his pack-mates. He was smaller than them. His hair was noticeably longer than theirs. His nails he had to pick at constantly whereas his pack-mates could shift to wolf-form and trim their claws on the bark of trees. At least his ears seemed to twitch and move like theirs did.

Angrily, Branch swiped and smacked at his reflection. One exceptionally hard slap sent mud flying up into his eye. Now he had an eye patch made of mud. He tried to wipe it off and it only smeared across his face. When he glanced at his reflection again, he got an idea. He grabbed fistfuls of mud and rubbed it on his chest and face and ears. Once he was thoroughly covered, he headed for a patch of dandelions and patted the fuzzy stuff all over the mud. Now he had fur…sort of. Branch ripped some thorns off the thistles nearby. He saw a hole in a tree where a couple beetles burrowed for sap to eat. A bit of the sap oozed out of the hole at the speed of molasses. Branch used this sap to stick the thorns to his nails and give himself claws.

Branch returned to the stream and shut his eyes tightly. "I'm a wolf…I'm a wolf…I'm a wolf!" He opened his eyes and stared at his reflection. To his surprise, a wolf stared back at him. But when he looked closer, he saw that the wolf had green fur instead of blue.

"Branch." The boy spun around to see his mother behind him, now in her half-wolf form. She stared at him with a mix of pity and bewilderment. "What are you doing?"

Branch frowned. "Why am I so different?"

"Because you're covered with mud and dandelion fluff, that's why." Rosiepuff knelt down and pulled Branch closer to her. She began cleaning him up: plucking the thorns from Branch's fingers, gently scratching the sap off his nails, and using a flower petal to wipe the mud and dandelion fluff from his face and chest.

"But Peppy said I don't—" Branch had to close his mouth as Rosiepuff wiped mud from his lips. "Peppy said I don't even belong in this pack!"

"Don't pay him any mind, Branch." Rosiepuff said, still cleaning the boy.

"But…." Branch pushed her hands away. "Look at me! Look at the messes I cause! Look at all the things I can't do!"

Rosiepuff stared at him sadly. "Branch, I am looking at that. But I'm also looking at everything that you are, everything that you can do and have the potential to do."

"I don't even look like you." Branch huffed.

"Oh really?" Rosiepuff grinned. She wiped the remaining mud from Branch's eyes. "You have two eyes, like me." She cleared the last of the mud from his face. "I see two ears and a nose, like me. I even see quite a few glitter freckles, like mine." She put a finger to her mouth in thought. "What else do we have in common?"

Branch thought for a moment. "Oh! Two hands! And two feet!"

"Exactly." Rosiepuff put her hands up, and Branch pressed his hands to hers. He looked to where his smaller hands rested on Rosiepuff's palms. The fact that she had claws stood out as another difference between them. He sighed heavily and stared at the ground. Rosiepuff put a hand to Branch's chin and tilted his head back up again. She smiled warmly. "Branch, close your eyes." The boy obeyed. Rosiepuff lifted Branch's hand and pushed it to his chest. "What do you feel?"

Branch felt a soft thumping in his chest. "My heart."

"Now tell me what you hear." Rosiepuff pulled Branch into her arms, and he put an ear to her chest. He heard something like the gentle banging on a timpani drum.

"Your heart." Branch said with a grin.

"Yes." Rosiepuff said. "We're exactly the same." Branch's smile broadened, and he hugged his mother. Rosiepuff sighed as she rubbed his back soothingly. "Peppy just can't see that."

Branch pulled away from Rosiepuff with that grin still on his lips. "I'll make him see it! I'll be the best wolf-troll ever!"

"Oh I bet you will!" Rosiepuff said, pulling him in close and tickling him. Branch laughed hysterically, and he no longer felt upset over what happened earlier that day.


	5. Lessons from Mom

**Chapter Five – Lessons from Mom**

His feet pounded on the ground as hard as his heart beat in his chest. He leaped over tree roots and darted around rocks. He swiped tall grass away to clear his path. Behind him echoed the snarls and growls of the monster who chased him.

Branch yelped when his foot hit open air, and he tumbled down into a log. He bounced and rolled and, upon exiting the log, hit the trunk of a tree and slumped to the ground.

"Owie….." the pup groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. He froze at the sound of another roar, and he saw the shadowy monster coming closer. He scrambled to his feet and took off again. The monster chased after him. Branch burst from the underbrush and jumped onto rocks to get across a stream. One rock was pink and fuzzy, and it turned out to be a very surprised Cooper.

"What the—?" Cooper yelped when Branch jumped on his back.

"Run!" Branch shouted. "It's Shadow Claw!"

"Shadow Claw?!" Cooper squeaked. He shouted in terror as he took off running with Branch hugging his neck tightly to hold on.

Suddenly, the shadowy beast of Shadow Claw dropped down to the ground, snarling at the two kids as they tried to run. The creature hopped into the light…

…..to reveal Suki.

"Whoa, what is this?" Suki demanded. She turned to her half-wolf form and scaled a tree, darting across branches and jumping off to land in Cooper's path. Cooper and Branch couldn't stop in time, and they crashed into Suki. The pups rolled across the ground and came to a stop at the base of a tree.

"Suki!" Branch laughed.

"I never saw you could hitch a ride on a llama." Suki punched Branch's arm playfully.

Cooper shook his head to get rid of the dizziness. "Wait a second! Shadow Claw isn't real!"

"Suki was just pretending." Branch shrugged. "So I can practice running for my life. I'm not quite fast enough."

"No kidding." Suki laughed. "If Shadow Claw ever did come down from Ghostly Gorge, you'd be lunch."

"Uh, let's not forget that Shadow Claw is the fastest, strongest, most fearsome beast in the forest." Branch shoved Suki playfully. "If I'm going to be lunch, then you're going to be dessert."

"But the good news is Shadow Claw doesn't exist, so he can't eat any of us." Cooper said. "Come on, let's play something else."

"Like what?" Suki asked.

Cooper lightly smacked her shoulder. "Tag! You're It!" He and Branch laughed as they darted away.

Suki grinned, changing to her wolf form. "Oh it is so on."

Things had improved for Branch after Rosiepuff adopted Cooper into their pack. Cooper officially became Rosiepuff's second son, and he and Branch spent nearly every day of their lives together. Two years passed since Cooper's adoption. Branch had grown stronger since then, dutifully studying all that he needed to know about being a wolf-troll.

Yet, despite all his learning and how well he always did, Branch still couldn't transform like his pack-mates.

After quite a bit of time playing tag, the three kids resorted to just running around to blow off energy. Suki led the charge in her wolf form, giggling madly. But she noticed something up ahead, and she skidded to a halt. Cooper screeched to stop, and Branch nearly ran into him as he stopped too.

"What's up, Suki?" Branch asked.

"We can't go this way." Suki said.

Cooper and Branch looked ahead. They stood on a cliff at the moment. Several feet down was a rocky creek bed. Another small cliff stood on the other side of the creek, not too far away.

"We can jump it." Cooper suggested.

"No, let's not." Suki said. "Come on. We should start heading back to the pack." She turned and began walking. Cooper jogged after her.

Branch stared at the gap over the small gorge (if he could even call it that, given how small it was). He hurried to catch up with Suki and Cooper. "You don't think I can jump it, do you?"

"I'm sure you can, but we're not going to try today." Suki said.

"Why not?" Branch demanded. "I can make it."

"I know." Suki nodded, not looking at Branch.

"You don't think I can." Branch guessed.

"So what if you can't?" Suki growled, the fur on the back of her neck bristling. "Get over it."

"I _can_ make it!" Branch said stubbornly.

"No you can't. Which is why we're going this way." Suki said decidedly.

"Can I say something?" Cooper asked.

"No!" Branch and Suki snapped simultaneously.

"Branch, just let it go and stop obsessing over the fact that you're not as strong as the other pups!" Suki snarled. She stomped off, glaring straight ahead. Cooper slowly followed. After a while, they noticed Branch didn't walk alongside them.

"Uh, bro?" Cooper called as he and Suki looked for the blue pup.

"Branch!" Suki shouted when she spotted Branch making a beeline for the cliff.

Branch went down on all fours to pick up his speed. He was going to show Suki once and for all that he could do something right. He summoned all of his strength as the cliff edge came into view. Time for the moment of truth.

He pushed off the very edge of the cliff.

Branch soared over the creek and brought in his legs to land on the other side. His feet slammed firmly onto the grass on the other cliff, and Branch became still for a moment.

"Yes!" Branch cheered. "Whoa!" He yelped when his feet suddenly slipped off the edge of the cliff, and he just managed to catch himself. He dug his fingers into the dirt to keep himself from falling. No matter how hard he kicked his legs, he couldn't get the proper foothold to push himself back up. His grip was slipping. If he fell, he might hit his head on the rocks below and get hurt.

"Suki! Cooper!" Branch shouted. "Help me!"

A shadow passed over Branch, and he looked up to see Suki land on the ground in front of him. She turned around and grabbed the suspender of Branch's shorts in her teeth. She hauled him onto solid ground as Cooper jumped the gap and landed beside them.

Suki gently placed Branch on the ground. "Branch, what were you thinking? You could've been hurt or killed! How am I supposed to explain that to your mother?"

Branch trembled as he moved to a kneeling position. "I…..I thought….I could make it….."

"Well you can't!" Suki growled, changing to her half-wolf form. "You just can't do it!"

"I know that!" Branch ducked his head down, and tears welled up in his eyes. "I know that…."

Suki sighed heavily, and she put her hands on Branch's shoulders. She shook him a little, and he stared up at her with watery eyes. Suki frowned in determination. "You can't do it now because you're just not strong enough. You're small and young and you don't have the strength for this sort of thing. But you know what? You're going to grow and get stronger and stronger every day. You're going to get stronger and wiser and more powerful with every day that passes. And someday, you're going to clear jumps like that no problem. You're going to jump so high and so far it will look like you're flying."

Branch sniffled. "Really?"

"Yes." Suki said in a firm tone. "I believe that you really will do amazing things. When you're older, and as you continue to learn and grow, you're going to show everyone the great things you can do. But right now, you have to deal with the fact that you're just too small and too young for some things. You'll learn as time goes by. I'll even teach you. I promise."

Branch's tears came out, and he hugged Suki tightly. Suki held him close, and Cooper joined in the hug.

"Let's go home." Cooper said. Suki nodded, slowly pulling Branch to his feet. She kept an arm around him as the three of them walked back towards their pack.

* * *

That night, Peppy chose a small clearing surrounded by short trees for their resting spot. He stood atop a rock just tall enough to see everyone in his pack. Some of the wolf-trolls curled up on soft spots of grass. Others made little nest-like beds to sleep on. A few stayed in their troll or half-wolf forms and climbed the trees to sleep. Peppy, in his wolf form, curled up on the rock to get some sleep himself. He was a light sleeper—a helpful skill when alpha—so he would hear any dangers that might come.

Rosiepuff chose a spot by the roots of a nearby tree, and arranged flower petals in a nest for her sons. She herded the boys to the nest. Cooper spun around a few times before settling down, and Branch curled up next to him. The blue troll used his brother's neck for a pillow, and Rosiepuff draped a flower petal over Cooper's back. She did the same for Branch. "There. How's that?"

"Fine." Branch mumbled.

"Yeah, great." Cooper also mumbled.

Rosiepuff frowned at the boys' dejected looks. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." The boys said at once.

"Really?" Rosiepuff said disbelievingly. "Do I need to coax it out of you?" Branch turned over and frowned. "Okay, you asked for it!" Rosiepuff suddenly began tickling Branch's ribs. The blue pup laughed uncontrollably. Cooper snickered, and Rosiepuff began tickling him, too. "Are you going to talk, Cooper? Huh?"

"Mom!" Cooper laughed. "Come on, stop! I'm ticklish!"

"Oh, that's quite clear." Rosiepuff laughed.

"Mom! Stop!" Branch still laughed, but then pushed Rosiepuff's hand away. He crawled up from his bed and climbed up to sit on a root of the tree. Rosiepuff stared after him worriedly, and Cooper stood to join his brother. The llama scooted close to Branch, nuzzling his head against his brother's.

"Branch?" Rosiepuff asked, sitting next to her sons. "What happened?"

"I couldn't outrun Shadow Claw." Branch said.

"He means Suki pretending to be Shadow Claw." Cooper corrected.

Rosiepuff chuckled. "You know there's no such thing. That's just an old ghost story."

"But if he was real, he'd get me!" Branch protested. "I can't fight and I'm too slow. I can't even transform into a wolf."

"If it makes you feel any better, he'd get me too if he were real." Cooper said with a weak smile.

"He wouldn't if I could fight." Branch muttered. "I could actually protect you." Cooper's smile disappeared.

"Boys, you're both too young to be fighting, anyway." Rosiepuff said. "Until you learn how, I'll be there to protect you. Promise."

Branch cringed. "But then you would be in danger because of me. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

Rosiepuff hated seeing Branch so upset about this. She looked out to the rest of the wolf pack, and she smiled again. "Branch, Cooper, come with me." She slid off the tree root, changing to her half-wolf form as she landed. Curious, Branch and Cooper slid off the root and followed Rosiepuff deeper into the forest. Rosiepuff led them to a tall tree and pulled the boys up onto her back and shoulders. She used her claws to help her climb up the tree, into the highest branches. Rosiepuff looked around, and smiled when she found what she looked for. She pointed to a neighboring tree, and the boys followed her gaze.

A nest rested in the branches of the tree next to them. In the nest rested a couple owl creatures with white feathers that had black stripe markings. The nest contained a mating pair and two chicks. The chicks were fuzzy and fluffy with downy feathers.

"Wow." Branch breathed.

"Double wow." Cooper agreed.

"Those are called tiger furo." Rosiepuff said. "See those two little chicks? They were born just a week ago. What do you notice about them?"

"They're tiny." Cooper said. "And fluffy!"

"And their wings are small, too." Branch said. "It looks like they're trying to fly."

One of the chicks hopped onto the edge of the nest. Flapping her wings furiously, she hopped out of the nest. But the chick fell right towards the ground. One of the parents swooped down to save the baby, bringing her back to the nest.

"Aw, she didn't fly." Cooper said sadly.

"Exactly. Because she's too young." Rosiepuff explained. "Those two chicks need to grow and learn before they're ready to fly like their parents."

"So what does that mean for us?" Branch asked.

Rosiepuff moved to be more at the boys' eye level. "We're wolf-trolls. Yes, even you, Cooper. We all have a role to play in the pack, and it's a role we grow into as we learn more about ourselves. Some of us are scouts, some are hunters, some are fighters, some are caretakers, and much more. But we're also like a family. We look out for each other, care for one another. Maybe we aren't related by blood, but that doesn't mean we aren't a family. We need each other to grow and learn who we are."

Branch scoffed and stared at the ground. "Nobody needs me."

"I do." Cooper said. "You're my brother. I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today if it weren't for you. I need you around."

"And I do too." Rosiepuff said. "Branch, you will find your place someday and learn your role in the pack. Until then, it's okay to have someone else protecting you."

Branch grinned a little, and the three of them came together for a tight group hug. "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Cooper."


	6. Grey

**Chapter Six - Grey**

Days later, the pack was on the move once again. They had to follow the herds so they could hunt and eat. They were halfway through autumn, and winter was on the horizon.

Of course, that didn't stop the pups from their rambunctious play as the pack traveled. Fuzzbert had taken on the role of Shadow Claw, and chased his pack-mates through the underbrush.

"Oh no!" Suki called playfully as she broke away from her mother. "Run away! It's Shadow Claw!"

Fuzzbert aimed to pounce on Branch, but instead Branch jumped up and landed on the wolf pup's back. Cooper tackled the both of them, and they all ended up tumbling into the other pups. The pups all landed in a massive dog pile, laughing merrily.

"I wanna be Shadow Claw!" Guy Diamond said.

"Then you better come get us!" Branch goaded. The pups laughed some more as they ran off, and Guy Diamond shifted to wolf form as he chased them.

Peppy and Rosiepuff, leading the pack in their troll forms, paused as the pups darted in front of them. Rosiepuff laughed. "Aren't they just so adorable?"

Peppy rolled his eyes. "Indeed."

Rosiepuff interlocked her fingers with his own. "I remember a certain up-and-coming alpha who was that cute."

"Is that to imply I'm no longer cute?" Peppy asked, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

"I think you're best described as handsome, nowadays." Rosiepuff corrected, smiling adoringly at her mate.

"How kind of you to compliment me on my ugly mug." Peppy said, a grin forming.

Rosiepuff laughed. "Well maybe if you groomed that mane of yours." She swatted at some of his wild, unkempt hair. Peppy chuckled softly and wrapped an arm around her waist. He held her close, kissing her temple, and Rosiepuff leaned into his loving touch.

Then, their previously sunny day darkened, and Peppy looked skyward to see dark rainclouds forming. It began to rain already. Rosiepuff could hear the storm herself, and she kissed her mate quickly before going to round up the pups. The drizzle turned into a downpour, yet the pack continued on. They only stopped when they came to a small gorge. At the bottom, water trickled by. The riverbed had been mostly dry for a few months. The rain made the slopes going down into and up from the riverbed muddy and slippery.

Peppy stepped forward first, shifting to his half-wolf form and digging his claws into the mud and dirt. He managed to control his slid to get to the bottom. He hopped onto a fallen log to test its strength, and then gestured for his pack to follow. The rest of the pack followed their alpha. Those still in troll form changed to half-wolf or full-wolf, giving them more of a grip as they traveled across the riverbed. The wolf-trolls stuck to the rocks and wood laying on the ground. The mud was slippery and could even get a wolf-troll stuck.

Unfortunately, Branch couldn't change to half-wolf, and he kept slipping on the logs and rocks. Cooper didn't fare much better. Neither of them had claws like their puppy pack-mates, and it made climbing the logs and rocks much harder.

"Come on, up this way." Branch encouraged Cooper to climb up onto a log, which would hopefully make it easier for them to cross the riverbed.

Cooper yelped as he slid off the log and back to the ground. Branch soon followed suit. "Maybe we should go through the mud." Cooper suggested.

"No. Too dangerous." Branch said. "Come on. You go first and I'll catch you if you slip."

Cooper nodded and tried the climb again. His feet still slipped on the mud and wetness, but this time Branch could brace himself and push the llama forward. Most of the pack were on the other side, climbing up the other slope. Branch, determined, kept pushing against Cooper to help him climb. Then, quite suddenly, Cooper disappeared as someone pulled him up. Branch dug his nails into the bark to keep from falling, and he yelped when someone grabbed a fistful of his hair and hauled him upwards. He soon found himself almost nose-to-nose with Peppy. The alpha growled at him, apparently irritated that the small pup was the last one to follow.

Branch chuckled nervously. "Um…..thanks….."

Peppy huffed, marched across the log, and promptly dropped Branch on the other side, who landed on his rear end in the mud. Suki and Cooper quickly came to the rescue and helped him stand. "Come on, Branch. No time to play in the mud." Suki joked forcefully.

"Yeah, we gotta get going." Cooper laughed nervously. "It's raining felidala and wolf-trolls out here."

Peppy rolled his eyes and turned to keep walking. Cooper and Suki encouraged Branch along as they followed.

Peppy froze, his ears erect, and he spun around to stare upriver. The pups followed his gaze. The rainstorm had caused a flash flood farther upriver, and now water was stampeding towards them.

"Run!" Peppy commanded over the sound of the thunder.

The pack made a break for it. The mud on the incline leading out of the riverbed made it harder for the pack to move. Lightning flashed, the only light source the wolf-trolls had to see the other side. The wolf-trolls scrambled up to solid ground, gathering at the tree line to wait for everyone else.

Branch and Cooper, with their lack of claws, couldn't keep up as their pack-mates darted past them. Branch suddenly slipped and hit Cooper, the two of them tumbling backwards and fell into the mud at the bottom again. They desperately tried again. But they slipped again. Branch saw a bare bush sticking out of the dirt. He grabbed that with one hand while snatching a fistful of Cooper's dreadlocks with his other hand to keep the llama from falling.

"Ow!" Cooper yelped. "Ow ow ow! My hair!"

"Would you rather fall?" Branch growled through clenched teeth as he struggled to keep his grip.

Cooper glanced to the water rushing towards them. The riverbed spelled certain death right now. "No." Cooper squeaked.

Rosiepuff stood by the edge of the gorge, doing a headcount of the wolf-troll pups as they came to solid ground. Suki arrived and went straight to her mother. But Rosiepuff's two sons had yet to appear.

"Branch! Cooper!" Rosiepuff shouted. She looked down and saw the boys struggling to climb up the mud. Branch still held onto the dead bush to keep them from slipping down again.

"Mom!" the boys called fearfully.

Peppy herded his pack to safety, did a headcount, and realized with a start that his mate was missing. He stared back to see her crawling down the slope. "Rosiepuff!"

"Come on!" Rosiepuff urged. She held onto a rock a short distance from the edge. "You have to get up here!"

"Cooper, go!" Branch ordered, pulling the llama up. "Climb to her!"

Cooper clumsily climbed up. He used Branch's knee and shoulders and head for footholds, and Branch pushed him up farther. Rosiepuff reached her hand down, but couldn't quite grab him.

"I can't reach!" Cooper whimpered.

"Jump!" Branch ordered. Cooper barely had time to obey before Branch gave him a hard shove. That extra leverage allowed Cooper to leap high enough for Rosiepuff to grab him by the neck. He gagged a little as Rosiepuff hauled him to solid ground, practically pushing him towards Peppy. The alpha, in his wolf form, guided Cooper to the pack, and the cria went straight to Suki. The two of them watched as Rosiepuff reached down for Branch.

"You can make it!" Rosiepuff called encouragingly. She desperately tried to ignore the water getting closer and closer.

Branch dug his fingers and toes into the mud. He still couldn't reach his mother. He saw terror in her eyes, reflected by the fear in his own. Rosiepuff let go of her rock foothold, shifted to her half-wolf form, and slid down to Branch. She pulled him into one arm and began clawing her way up again.

Suddenly, the water was upon them. Branch saw the water right before a log swept up by the waves smashed into Rosiepuff. The log knocked Rosiepuff and Branch into the water.

" _No!"_ Peppy ran forward and dived into the water. The wolf-troll pack stared in horror. After a few agonizing seconds, Peppy emerged from the water gripping the collar of Rosiepuff's dress in his teeth. His powerful legs kicked hard, like a super-strong doggy paddle, and he managed to haul himself and Rosiepuff onto the solid ground.

"Rose?" Peppy stared at his mate worriedly. She coughed up water, struggling to lift herself up. Her teeth suddenly clenched and she growled in obvious pain. The matriarch held onto her arm, hoping it wasn't broken. Her eyes suddenly widened and she pushed Peppy aside. She stumbled as she hurried to the edge, and she stared down at the raging river. Water swirled debris around, and the white rapids prevented Rosiepuff from seeing anything in the water. She couldn't see anything.

Branch was gone.

"No….." Rosiepuff let out a strangled gasp, and she fell back again. Peppy changed to his half-wolf form and was at her side in an instant, pulling her away from the edge and cradling her close.

"Rosiepuff…" Peppy sighed as the female wolf-troll sobbed into his chest. He may have not cared for Branch, but it hurt him to see his mate in pain.

"Branch?" Suki whimpered. She and Cooper started forward, but Peppy stopped them. He slowly shook his head. Suki gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, and she fell to her knees. Tears already fell from Cooper's eyes. He slowly crept towards Rosiepuff and nudged her. She pulled him into a tight hug. The two of them mourned at once for the brother and son they lost.

* * *

Branch first became aware that his head _really_ hurt. When he put a hand to his head, he felt a bump hidden under his hair. He groggily opened his eyes. The blue child found himself on a muddy riverbank. The water behind him was calm. The sun shone through to reveal a calm morning after such a powerful storm last night. Branch looked around, wondering how he got there.

Then, it came rushing back. The storm. Crossing the riverbed. The flash flood. His mother…..

"Mom?" Branch breathed, still a bit disoriented. What if the pack kept moving? What if they were looking for him? How far was he swept downriver? Branch stood and looked around. "Cooper? Suki?" Fear coursed through his veins again, and he took off running. "Mom! Where are you?"

Naturally, since he was just a child and so scared, he didn't think to travel upriver and look for tracks. It took much too long for him to finally find his pack resting in a clearing just downhill of him. Branch scanned the pack for his mother and found her and Peppy sitting a ways away from the other wolf-trolls. He hurried around the other wolf-trolls to reach them. As he came closer, he saw that everyone looked solemn and sad. The source of it seemed to come from the alpha and his mate. Curious and concerned, Branch crouched down into the bushes and listened to Rosiepuff and Peppy talk.

Peppy held his mate close, allowing her to cry into his shoulder as she had done on and off for most of the night. She had done a similar thing when their first son was killed by Zina, so Peppy didn't mind. He only wished he could've prevented another round of heartbreak for his beloved mate. Rosiepuff didn't have much use of her injured arm, only making matters worse.

"I'm sorry, Rose." Peppy finally said when Rosiepuff's cries quieted to silent tears.

Rosiepuff stared numbly at the forest floor. "I had him. He was right there in my arms. But then he…" She clenched Peppy's vest in her fist, her shoulders shaking with her silent sobs.

Peppy hated seeing her so upset. But, like the last time this happened, he didn't know what to say or do to make it better. "You did what you could. Even I couldn't save him, and there's nothing you can do now to bring him back." He told her regretfully.

"I would do anything!" Rosiepuff cried. "I would've rather died than lose him!"

Branch gasped softly. He felt like his heart nearly stopped at those words. His mother…she was willing to _die_ …for him…..

"It's not fair!"

Branch spun around, still concealed by the bushes, and saw Suki and Cooper sitting together. Both of them sobbed too, just as upset believing their friend to be dead.

"I know, Cooper." Suki said, sniffling. "I know. I miss him too."

"It should've been me." Cooper blubbered. "H-he actually made sure I got out first. But he should've been first!"

Suki shushed him. "You think I don't feel guilty too? I didn't look back because I thought you guys were right behind me. I should've turned back." She exhaled heavily. "I was going to teach him to transform, to be a fighter. Now I never will." She sniffled again. "I wish it had been me instead."

Branch couldn't stand it anymore. He turned and ran off before anyone could notice him. He pushed bush branches and grass aside as he ran. His thoughts ran faster than he did. His friends….his closest pack-mates and even his own mother…they wanted to die for him. He put them in danger!

He burst out of the underbrush and started climbing the rocks of a nearby hill. When he reached the top, he looked back down. Branch could see his pack, still mourning for him. Part of him wanted to go back to them. But he reminded himself that he was a danger to them all. If he didn't leave now, someone else might get hurt. He already caused Rosiepuff's injury. He nearly got her killed. He couldn't hurt anyone else.

Settling to his decision, Branch took off running again. He slipped and slid down the other side of the hill. Once he hit the bottom, he went down on all fours and ran as fast as he could. He didn't even care where he went as long as it was away from the pack. He switched back and forth between running on all fours and on two feet, but he didn't slow down in the least. His lungs burned from breathing hard. His feet and hands began to hurt from the constant pounding on the ground. Sweat formed on his brow.

After who-knows-how-long, Branch collapsed on the banks of a stream. He panted heavily, cool air soothing his lungs. He shakily rose to a kneeling position and closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. He was a lone wolf-troll now, and he would need to find somewhere to live for now. If he ever found his pack again, he'd have to move again.

Where would he go?

Branch sighed and opened his eyes to stare at the ground. His eyes widened and he gasped when he saw his hands were no longer blue, but instead grey. He scrambled to the edge of the stream and stared at his reflection in the water.

He changed colors. Gone was the deep, sky-blue hue of his skin. Now it looked grey like ashes. His previously blue locks that shined that sapphires now were black like the night sky, except without the stars. Only his icy blue eyes remained. Branch was confused and scared now. How did this happen? Was this normal for wolf-trolls? He had to ask his mother…no….he couldn't…..he could _never_ go back.

Branch burst into tears, letting out all his fear and sorrow at last.


	7. The Trolls of Ghostly Gorge

**Chapter Seven – The Trolls of Ghostly Gorge**

Branch's feet dragged as he trudged through the forest. His ears drooped a little. He could actually feel the emptiness of his stomach.

At least he got over seeing the grey skin and black hair.

A week had passed since Branch left his pack. Luckily, he hadn't run into them again for a while. But he also hadn't found a place to stay either. Every other place he checked either had something else living there or didn't offer good enough food, water, or shelter for Branch. He managed to hydrate himself at rivers, creeks, and streams. But he hadn't eaten since lunchtime yesterday, and his energy began to dwindle away.

Sighing tiredly, Branch climbed up onto a rock to rest. He leaned back and let the late afternoon sun wash over his face. He wondered what his pack-mates were doing now. Of course, they may have moved on already. Good. They should move on and just forget about him. It's what was best for everyone.

Branch heard his stomach growl, and he remembered his hunger pain. He sighed heavily and flopped back on the rock. He stared at the clear blue sky, the sunlight nearly blinding him.

A familiar bird cry made Branch shoot up straight. "Oh no." the blue child scrambled off his rock and ran off. Unfortunately, that just made the glerakal more excited for a hunt. The ginormous bird of prey shot down and chased Branch through the forest. Branch desperately zigzagged through the trees. Glerakal birds were big enough to pick up baby mammals, like himself, to eat for lunch. If Branch didn't hurry, he'd be this bird's next meal.

No matter how hard he tried, Branch couldn't outrun the bird's stoop dive. The glerakal snatched Branch off the ground and pulled him into the air.

"Put me down!" Branch thrashed and wriggled in the bird's grip. "I said put me down you—" Branch looked down and realized how high up he was. That's when he remembered that glerakal liked to drop their prey from high places to kill them. "Wait! Don't put me down! Don't—"

 _ROAR!_

The glerakal froze, hovering in the air. It was clear the bird was startled by the monstrous roar. Branch looked all around for the source of the booming, thunder-like sound. When another roar echoed around them, the glerakal suddenly dropped Branch and flew off in fear. Branch shouted in terror as he plummeted towards the ground. His eyes watered from the wind, and he could just make out the trench-like area below. Branch grabbed some vine-like branches of a willow on the edge of the gorge. The branches slowed him down, but then broke. He tumbled down the slope of the gorge, bouncing and rolling and sliding. When he landed, he lay on his back and moaned in pain. He took a moment for his heartbeat to settle, and then looked around. The end of the gorge was to his left: a steep, nearly vertical wall that was too smooth to climb. The rest of the gorge stretched out to the right, going on for who-knows-how far. The wind whistled through the area. Branch soon realized he stood in Ghost Gorge, an area so named because the wind blowing through sounded like the moans of scary spirits. Also, it was supposedly the home of a certain fictional monster. At least, Branch thought it was fictional.

Was that roar Shadow Claw?

Branch had to remind himself that Shadow Claw didn't exist outside his mother's stories. He slowly stood up to take a look around. There wasn't much down there except rocks, rocks, and even more rocks. No vegetation. No other life that he could see. He had to get out of here. Who knows what may actually live here?

The sound of cracking rocks reached Branch's ears. Curious, he crawled up to peer over a rock. It seemed someone used a rock column as a punching bag, and he was strong enough to actually crack the rock and break off small chunks of it. When the creature came out from behind the rock, Branch blinked in surprise to see a wolf-troll in his half-wolf form. The wolf-troll had tangerine-colored skin and golden yellow-orange hair, his eyes a shade similar to clear skies. He wore sky blue shorts and a bright green suspender. He also had a purple nose, dark brown eyebrows, and a bit of a stubble on his chin.

"Yeah, you like that?" the wolf-troll laughed, still punching and kicking the rock. "Well how about this? And this? Take that! Ha!"

Branch quickly decided he didn't like the look of this wolf-troll. He looked mean. So Branch began sneaking away. But he didn't get far before someone grabbed his ankle and hoisted him off the ground. Branch saw another wolf-troll, also in his half-wolf form. This one had darker orange skin than the first wolf-troll, and his hair was green. He had mahogany-colored eyes and a magenta nose. He wore single-strap overalls that were light blue and changed to green on the legs.

"Hey Rudy!" the orange wolf-troll called. "Look what I got!"

"Please don't eat me." Branch gulped. He yelped when the orange wolf-troll hurried to the wolf-troll punching the rock.

"Look, bro!" the orange wolf-troll presented Branch to the golden-haired wolf-troll. "You think Mandy will let me keep it?"

The other wolf-troll, Rudy, rolled his eyes. "Can't you see I was enjoying myself?" He took a look at Branch and suddenly snatched him away from his brother. "Wait a minute. Aspen, where did you find this?"

"Hi….." Branch waved timidly as Rudy held him by his hair.

"He was sitting over there!" Aspen said excitedly. "Isn't he cute? He's my new pet!"

"Wait, since when?" Branch asked.

"Mandy is not going to let you keep this thing." Rudy said.

"She will too!" Aspen said, snatching Branch back and petting the little troll's hair. "She knows I'm responsible! And when she sees how cute he is, she'll let me keep him!"

"Can I say something?" Branch was still ignored by the older wolf-trolls.

"I think I should take care of him." Rudy said. "He's scrawny, but he ought to be good for something."

"No!" Aspen hugged Branch tightly, almost squeezing the life out of him. "It's mine!"

"Well what if I want it?" Rudy asked. "I'm the more responsible brother anyway."

"Are not!" Aspen said.

"Are too!" Rudy snapped.

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"May I _please_ say something?" Branch spoke up.

Suddenly, Rudy changed to his wolf form and tackled Aspen, causing him to drop Branch. The blue pup jumped out of the way as the two wolf-trolls wrestled and rolled across the ground.

"Hey!"

The sharp bark caused the boys to freeze, and they glanced to a higher rock nearby, where a female wolf-troll stood in her wolf form. She shifted to her troll form as she marched towards Aspen and Rudy. The female wolf-troll had yellow skin the color of lemonade and dark, reddish-pink hair. Her eyes were red-violet, and her nose was minty green. She wore a rosy, peach-colored dress that faded to yellow at the bottom of her skirt.

"Hello Mandy." Rudy greeted timidly.

"Hey big sis." Aspen waved.

Mandy put her hands on her hips and stood between her younger brothers. "Now boys—my precious, loving baby brothers—what have I told you about fighting?"

"But he started it!" Rudy protested.

"He tried to steal my pet!" Aspen whined. The brothers growled at each other again.

Mandy frowned. "Ears!" The boys sighed silently and turned their heads so their older sister could pinch their ears and yank them down. "Fighting makes your big sister very stressed out!" Mandy growled. "I don't need to deal with that when I'm trying to find us dinner! Understand?"

"Yes." The boys whimpered.

Mandy shoved the boys to the ground. "Now, Aspen, what kind of pet have you found?"

Branch spoke up louder. "I'm _not_ anyone's pet! I'm a wolf-troll!"

Aspen shifted to his wolf form and gave Branch a sniff. "You're the weirdest-smelling wolf-troll I've ever smelt."

"And you're far too young to be a lone wolf-troll." Mandy agreed. "Where's your family? Where's your pack?"

"I…..I had to leave….." Branch said, suddenly shy.

"What for?" Rudy asked. Branch didn't meet his gaze.

"It doesn't matter." Mandy shrugged. "You can stay with us if you'd like."

"No, I couldn't." Branch shook his head.

Mandy didn't know what to make of this pup. He was far too young to be by himself, and yet he was denying the chance to be with other wolf-trolls. "You climbed down here, didn't you?" Mandy guessed. "Got a little curious? That's how many animals get down here."

"Besides falling in." Rudy said, glaring pointedly at Aspen.

"I tripped!" Aspen shrugged. "And I wouldn't have if you didn't run into me!"

"There's no need to cast blame." Mandy said. "The only reason we're down here is because of the monster."

"Monster?" Branch repeated.

"It prowls the gorge." Mandy said, her tone now becoming spooky. "Always hunting, always hungry. There's no way out of the gorge once you fall in. The walls are too steep. It's only a matter of time before _he_ finds you and captures you."

"Who?" Branch asked.

"Who else?" Rudy whimpered.

"The monster! The monster who must not be named!" Aspen gulped.

Mandy leaned in close to Branch and whispered, "Shadow Claw."

Branch stared at her in confusion. "No, that's not possible. There's no such thing as—"

A monstrous roar shattered the silence of the gorge, echoing over the wolf-trolls.

"It's headed this way." Mandy gasped. "Run!"

"Come on, pup!" Rudy urged to Branch. Mandy and her brothers ran off as fast as they could, leaving Branch in the dust despite his desperate attempts to keep up. Branch saw a shadow, and a monstrous form appeared as a shadow on the cliff wall. It looked furry, with horns and horrible claws.

Shadow Claw.

The monster roared again, and Branch picked up the pace to run for his life. Mandy, Rudy, and Aspen disappeared, shouting for him to keep up. Branch slipped into a hole in the ground. He saw a tunnel and began climbing. He could still hear the roars of Shadow Claw, and it terrified him so much he began climbing faster than he ever had before. His fingers and toes hurt from clawing at the rock, but he kept climbing.

Quite suddenly, Branch tumbled out of the exit of the hole, and he rolled across the ground. He stopped on all fours and took off running for his life. He had no idea if Shadow Claw chased him, but he didn't dare look back to check. The rock transitioned to grass and dirt, and Branch was back in the forest again. He saw flashes of greens and browns as he ran. Then, he spotted a flash of grey, and he saw a silvery-grey wolf-troll ahead of him.

"Run!" Branch screamed. "It's Shadow Claw! Run!"

The wolf-form wolf-troll spun around, his light grey eyes widening, and he shouted in terror as he galloped off. Branch and the silvery wolf screamed simultaneously as they ran for their lives, unaware that nothing chased them. The wolf-troll darted into a hole at the base of a tall tree, the entrance to the hole covered by a thick curtain of vines. Branch tried to come in after him, but the wolf-troll caught Branch and threw him out.

"Stay out!" the wolf-troll snapped, sticking his head out of the hole. "This is my den!" He disappeared back into the tree.

"Wait, please! You gotta—" Branch tried to run back into the tree, but he jumped back when the wolf-troll jumped out and snarled at him.

"My den!" the wolf-troll growled. "Go away!"

Branch looked back towards the trees. The darkening skies made the shadows look scarier than they actually were. "Please!" Branch begged.

"No!" the wolf-troll snapped from inside.

"If I stay out here, Shadow Claw will get me!" Branch protested.

The wolf-troll came out again and snarled and barked at Branch. "Deal with it, punk!" He growled again, and Branch curled into a ball and cowered in fear. The wolf-troll still growled as he marched back into his tree home.

Branch stared after the wolf-troll. "Please help me!" he pleaded. The wolf-troll didn't answer. Branch was too afraid to try and go in again. He jumped when an animal cried out in the forest. It was definitely getting darker now, and Branch didn't have any shelter from the dangerous creatures that might lurk. Branch remembered what his mother taught him: most predators searched for prey on the ground. So Branch found another tree and scurried up it like a chipmunk. He found a hole and crawled inside. He trembled and shook, still terrified from his close encounter with Shadow Claw. The wolf-troll's grumpy attitude didn't help.

Branch began to cry from his fear, hugging his knees to his chest. "Mommy?"

* * *

Back in Ghostly Gorge, Mandy, Aspen, and Rudy managed to escape Shadow Claw and went about their day. Mandy brought her brothers their dinner: a couple beetles she managed to catch when the bugs wandered into the gorge. The measly morsels were not nearly enough to feed the juvenile wolf-trolls, but it was all they had. Mandy, the eldest of the three teenagers by about two years, selflessly gave the entirety of the meal to her brothers. Aspen and Rudy tried to protest, but a sharp word from their sister and they ate their meager dinner in silence. Then it was bedtime. The wolf-troll siblings went to a small cave in the wall of the gorge. This was their home ever since they accidentally wandered into Ghostly Gorge. The rocks offered hardly any comfort, but it was all they had.

"There we go." Mandy said soothingly as her brothers settled on their beds made of dust. "Time to sleep."

"What if Shadow Claw comes for us, Mandy?" Aspen asked.

"I'll keep an eye out, as usual." Mandy assured.

"That monster doesn't scare me." Rudy said, trying to sound brave.

"Does too." Aspen muttered.

Rudy yawned. "Does not."

Aspen also yawned. "Keep telling yourself that."

"All right, that's enough." Mandy soothed. "Get some sleep." She walked over towards the cave entrance to keep watch.

After a moment, Aspen spoke up. "Hey Mandy?"

"Yes?" Mandy answered.

"Will we ever get out of here?" Aspen asked.

"Well sure we will." Rudy scoffed. "Right, Mandy?"

"Of course." Mandy assured. "We're not giving up now."

"How do you know we'll make it out of here?" Aspen asked. "What if we're stuck here for the rest of our lives?"

"Come on, fellas." Mandy stood and came to crouch between her brothers' heads. "Did we give up when our parents died?"

"No." the boys said simultaneously.

"That's right." Mandy said. "I took care of you." Even though she was only eight years old, Mandy took it upon herself to be her brothers' caretaker. "And did we give up when our pack was cruel to us?"

"Well, we _did_ run away." Rudy pointed out.

"Not run away. _Escape_." Mandy corrected. "And we've looked out for each other the entire time. So we will not give up now. Someday, we're going to find a way out of this mountain, and we'll find a new pack."

"What if they don't want us?" Aspen asked.

"Trust me." Mandy said. "I will make sure that they accept us." Aspen and Rudy took comfort in their sister knowing how to take care of them, per the usual. So they settled down to sleep. Mandy walked to the edge of the ledge where they slept, and she stared out into the distance. As she shifted to her half-wolf form, her eyes settled into a malicious glare. "Because we will take whatever pack we want. We will fight the alpha and take control of the pack. Then they'll have no choice but to accept us. And anyone who gets in our way….."

She brandished her claws and then slashed them across a nearby rock, leaving deep scratch marks.


	8. The Truth of Shadow Claw

**Chapter Eight – The Truth of Shadow Claw**

 _He desperately reached for her hand._

 _Terror shined in her eyes._

 _He held on as tight as he could._

 _The water swallowed them whole._

"Mom!" Branch gasped as he bolted upright, scared right out of his own nightmare. He looked around to get his bearings. He still sat in the hole of the tree he crawled into last night. He poked his head out to look around at the forest. A stream flowed nearby, going right through a great tree. Morning daylight streamed through the trees.

He heard rustling leaves, and Branch looked down to the bottom of the great tree. The old wolf-troll poked his head from a hole in the bottom of the tree. Checking for anyone around and seeing no one, the wolf-troll lumbered out of the hole. He was still in his wolf form, just as Branch found him. The wolf-troll stretched and yawned. He glanced down to his stomach when it growled. Branch heard his own stomach growl. The wolf-troll wandered into the forest to look for breakfast. Curious, Branch followed the old wolf-troll.

The old wolf-troll came to a cherry tree and turned so his tail faced the trunk of the tree. He kicked back legs like a horse, planting his paws firmly into the bark of the tree. In a few seconds, a couple cherries landed in front of the wolf-troll. He ate the cherries, spit out the seeds, and continued on. Branch ducked as the seeds flew over his head. He glanced up to the cherries, licking his lips. He went down on all fours and kicked his legs back like the old wolf-troll did. But he ended up doing a somersault and landing on his rear end. After a few seconds, one of the cherries landed in his lap. Branch shrugged and snacked on the cherry as he followed the old wolf-troll.

The silvery wolf-troll stepped across a rock path to get across a creek, snarling at a couple bugs to get them to scurry out of his way. He swatted a butterfly into a nearby spider web, and marched on with that grumpy frown still on his snout. Branch continued to follow, hopping across the rocks and only pausing to help free the butterfly from the spider web. For some reason, this old wolf-troll fascinated Branch. He watched the wolf-troll stop, crouch down, and then lunge into the bushes ahead of him. The bushes rustled vigorously, and Branch heard the frightened squawks of a deechick. The wolf-troll emerged from the bushes with a fresh kill, and he sat down to eat that too. Branch stared hungrily at the food. He could remember his mother hunting for deechick birds, and even bringing them back to the pack to roast over a fire. The wolf-trolls didn't always have time to cook their food, and they mainly saved cooking for the wintertime when hot meals were ideal.

After finishing the deechick, the silvery wolf-troll trotted ahead. Branch still followed, even though he couldn't think of a reason why he would. He hid in some bushes and watched as the old wolf-troll approached a pile of blueberries lying on the forest floor. Then, to the wolf-troll's and Branch's surprise, an orange-and-yellow-striped snake with bright blue eyes dropped down from the tree. The snake glared at the wolf-troll and hissed at him. The wolf-troll darted away. Branch stared in confusion. This wolf-troll seemed so tough and strong, yet he was scared of the snake? Then again, that snake was pretty big.

The snake started to eat the blueberries. Then, it froze at the sound of a monstrous, thunder-like roar. Branch shrunk down into the bushes when he recognized the roar of Shadow Claw. Terrified, the snake darted into a hole in a nearby tree and quivered fearfully. Branch looked all around for Shadow Claw, hoping the monster wasn't coming towards him.

Something caught Branch's eye, and he glanced over to see the old wolf-troll crouching by a hole of a hollow tree. The wolf-troll barked and growled into the hole, and the hollow tree amplified the sound to create the roar Branch just heard.

"Shadow Claw?" Branch breathed, watching the wolf-troll laugh to himself.

The wolf-troll, Shadow Claw, still chuckled as he trotted back to the blueberries. While the snake still cowered, Shadow Claw grabbed a branch of berries and walked off with them. He held his head and tail high, obviously proud of his cleverness. He sat down a ways away and began snacking on his berries.

"Hey Shadow Claw."

"Hey." Shadow Claw said back to the grey troll sitting next to him. Shadow Claw paused, looked up, and saw a grey troll child smiling at him. "Oh crud."

Branch laughed. "You _are_ Shadow Claw, aren't you?"

"Uh, no!" the wolf-troll denied.

"Yes, you are!" Branch insisted. "You roared!"

"Wolf-trolls don't roar!" Shadow Claw snapped.

"You managed to do it. And then you took this food." Branch said, holding up the small limb that still had a few berries on it.

"Mine!" Shadow Claw snapped, snatching the branch out of the boy's hands. He noticed something orange and yellow, and Branch followed his look to see the snake had returned. The wolf-troll gave the berries back to Branch, who smiled at the snake nervously.

The snake hissed menacingly and lunged. Shadow Claw and Branch shouted as they took off running. The snake snapped its jaws in its attempts to swallow Branch and Shadow Claw whole. Branch scanned the area for a way out or something to help.

"This way!" Branch urged. He veered off in one direction. Shadow Claw didn't think it would help to follow the pup, but what other choice did he have? So he darted after Branch and the two of them came to a line of thorny bushes. Branch went right for a hole in the brambles and dove through it unscathed. Shadow Claw managed to miss the thorns as he followed suit. The snake, however, tried to snap up Shadow Claw and got a mouth full of thorns instead.

Shadow Claw and Branch kept running for a while until they saw the snake didn't chase them anymore. They panted in unison and tried to calm themselves from the chase.

"Huh." Shadow Claw said, surprised that Branch's plan worked. "Not bad, kid." Branch beamed with pride, but that smile disappeared when Shadow Claw glared at him. "But let's not forget that you're the reason that snake chased us."

"I'm not the one who stole food from another creature." Branch scoffed, following Shadow Claw as the old wolf-troll began walking off.

"This is _my_ territory, pup." Shadow Claw snapped. "Any food on this land is mine. So, if anything, that snake was stealing from _me._ "

Branch pondered this for a moment. "I guess that makes sense."

"Quit following me!" Shadow Claw growled. "Leave me alone."

"Why?" Branch asked innocently.

"Lone Wolf-Troll philosophy: don't need anyone but yourself." Shadow Claw said matter-of-factly. "Now go home!"

"I can't." Branch protested. "I ran away."

"Well that was pretty stupid of you." Shadow Claw scoffed.

"I can't go back." Branch insisted. "Not until I learn to be a wolf-troll."

"You'll learn as you get older." Shadow Claw assured. "Now run along."

"I have to learn _now_." Branch thought for a moment. "Hey! Maybe you could teach me! You _are_ Shadow Claw, the most fearsome beast of the forest."

"Teach you? Why would I teach you?" Shadow Claw scoffed. Branch opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Shadow Claw huffed. "That's what I thought." He marched away, apparently having the final word on the matter.

Branch stared at the ground dejectedly. How could he learn to be a good wolf-troll now? Shadow Claw could teach him everything he needed to know, and maybe he would learn to transform. Who else could he ask? He had no idea where other wolf-troll packs could be. Shadow Claw was his only hope, even if he was just a grumpy old wolf-troll.

Branch suddenly lit up with an idea. He bounded after Shadow Claw, walking on all fours, and managed to catch up and walk alongside the older wolf-troll. "Okay, I guess I can't convince you. So I'll be leaving."

"Then go." Shadow Claw said gruffly.

"Okay." Branch said, veering off-course. He still spoke loud enough for Shadow Claw to hear him. "You know, I bet everyone's going to love to know who the Shadow Claw monster really is!"

Shadow Claw froze. "He wouldn't."

"Especially all the scary predators around here." Branch continued. "Can't wait to tell them that Shadow Claw is nothing but a grumpy old wolf-troll!"

"He would!" Shadow Claw gasped. He turned and bounded after Branch, stepping in his path. "Hey, whoa wait a minute!"

Branch put a finger to his lip thoughtfully. "Then again, I've been known to take bribes in exchange for keeping secrets."

Shadow Claw glared at the grey-colored pup in irritation. He _could_ eat Branch, but Shadow Claw couldn't bring himself to hurt a pup. So he regretfully settled into his predicament. "Brat." He growled.

Branch smirked cheekily. "So do I have your attention?"

Shadow Claw sighed and headed for home. "Fine. Come with me. Let's talk."

"Right!" Branch nodded. "Hey, wait for me!"

* * *

By the time they reached Shadow Claw's tree home, Branch had told Shadow Claw about everyone in his pack, including his mother, Cooper, Peppy, Suki, and all of Branch's friends. Shadow Claw steadily grew more and more irritated by the talkative pup.

"See, Suki was trying to teach me to be a good wolf-troll." Branch rambled one. "So she pretended to be a monster. Well, she pretended to be _you_. But you're not really a monster. I think you're—" Once Branch reached the inside of the tree, he saw most of it hollowed from age with leaves and moss in various spots around the wood. The stream from outside ran right through it and flowed out another hole. "Wow! This is your home? That's so cool! You've got everything in here!"

Shadow Claw turned and put a paw over Branch's mouth. "All right, start talking. What do I have to do to get you to keep my secret?"

"Teach me the ways of the wolf-troll." Branch said, his voice muffled by Shadow Claw's paw over his mouth.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Shadow Claw demanded, taking a drink from the stream.

"I need to know how to hunt and run and howl and transform." Branch said. "You gotta teach me."

"You don't need to transform to know how to hunt and run and howl." Shadow Claw said.

"But I can't transform at all!" Branch protested. "By the way, why do you always stay in your wolf form?"

"None of your bumble wax." Shadow Claw snapped.

Branch raised an eyebrow, but just shrugged. "But you _will_ teach me the other skills, right? How to hunt and run and be a wolf-troll?"

"You can't learn that from your mother or pack-mates?" Shadow Claw asked.

"No." Branch shook his head.

"Well why not?" Shadow Claw demanded.

Branch stared at his reflection in the stream. For a moment, he saw the image of his wolf-form mother. He sighed. "It's…it's complicated."

Shadow Claw analyzed the pup for a moment. _Wow. This kid's got some issues. He's too young for that kind of stuff._ He huffed. "All right, fine."

Branch smiled broadly. "Thank you, thank you so—"

Shadow Claw held up a paw. "No need to be so sappy, kid. This ain't a favor. I'm not doing this because I'm being nice. Now come on. The sooner I teach you the proper skills of a wolf-troll, the sooner I can be rid of you."

"Okay!" Branch chirped as he followed Shadow Claw out of the tree. "But, still, thank you for helping me, Shadow Claw."

Shadow Claw stared at that smile, and then shook his head. "Whatever." He marched off, fighting that feeling of awe at the determined pup.

* * *

Lesson one: running.

"This may not seem like an important skill, but it is." Shadow Claw said. He and Branch sat face-to-face on a clear pathway in the forest. "Not only does wolf-troll need to be fast to keep up with prey, but we need to keep up with our pack when we travel, especially in times of emergency."

"But our alpha always says, 'No wolf-troll left behind.'" Branch protested.

"Not every wolf-troll pack will follow that philosophy." Shadow Claw snapped. "So you gotta learn to keep up. Pull your own weight." He nudged Branch in the direction of the trail. "Now get in position."

Branch tried to stand up; but at Shadow's pointed glare, he dropped down to all fours. "Like this?"

"Yes." Shadow Claw nodded crisply. "Now I'm going to move down this path and you're going to keep right alongside me. If you don't keep up, something will eat you. Got it?"

"Got it." Branch nodded.

Shadow Claw began a steady walk down the path. Branch stayed next to him. They trotted down the pathway at a steady pace for a minute.

"All right. Now I'm going to speed up." Shadow Claw said. "Stay beside me. Remember—"

"If I slow down, I die. I know." Branch said. "Let's do this."

Shadow Claw sped up to a faster trot, and then to a canter. Branch stayed next to him the entire time as they ran down the forest path. Even when Shadow Claw started to gallop, Branch only fell back a little bit. He pushed himself to stay near Shadow Claw. For a moment, he flashed back to when he slipped and fell back on the log, and it drove him to run faster. He actually started going faster than Shadow Claw. When Shadow Claw picked up speed, Branch did the same in a desperate attempt to keep up.

Then, Shadow Claw leaped into the air to jump over a small creek. Branch, unaware of the obstacle, ran right into the creek and tripped on a rock. He landed face-first into the waters. When he sat up from the water, his black hair hung in his eyes. He parted his hair to glare in irritation at Shadow Claw.

The silvery wolf-troll smirked at the pup. "Part of running is watching where you are going."

* * *

"Next up is communication." Shadow Claw said. He and Branch sat on the rocks near Ghostly Gorge this time. "That is, the communication amongst wolf-trolls while in wolf form. It's detrimental in times of hunting, fighting, etc. If you're too far away to hear by shouting, communication by howls or barks are often the only way to keep in touch with your pack-mates."

"Okay." Branch nodded in understanding.

"Copy me." Shadow Claw instructed. "First is a locator howl. This is what you will hear if a wolf-troll is looking for you. It's literally saying, 'Where are you?'" Shadow Claw let out a low howl. Branch listened closely to the intonation. Long…..short-short long…..

Branch tried it himself. "Like that?"

"Not bad, Pup." Shadow Claw mused. "Now this is how you answer, provided you want to be found." He released another low howl. Short-short long….short-short long…

"Like this?" Branch tried it himself.

"Yes, just like that." Shadow Claw nodded. "This is what the caller does to say, 'I'm coming!'"

Branch listened to the howl. Short-long….short-long….. "Got it!"

"Then let's try something more difficult." Shadow Claw suggested. "Do you know the different sounds and signals of a wolf-troll's emotions when in wolf form?"

"Yes sir!" Branch nodded enthusiastically.

"Aggressive." Shadow Claw said. Branch flattened his ears as best as he could and bared his teeth in a snarl. "All right. Now fight-ready." Branch kept his flattened ears and snarl and crouched down into a pouncing position. "Alert." Branch straightened up, his ears erect and his eyes straightforward. "Playful?" Branch lowered his head and raised his rear end, a grin on his lips. Shadow Claw seemed impressed. "Not bad, Pup. You may be on the right track after all."

"Really?" Branch asked.

"Well, we'll see." Shadow Claw said.

The two of them perked up when they heard a howl echo through the air. After a few seconds without answering, the howl came again.

"I think that's those wolf-trolls in Ghostly Gorge." Branch started to howl back, but Shadow Claw covered his mouth with his paw.

"Come on." Shadow Claw ordered, starting back towards the forest.

"But shouldn't we help them?" Branch asked as he followed the older wolf-troll.

"No." Shadow Claw growled. "They trespassed on my territory, so they have to pay the price."

Branch glanced back towards Ghostly Gorge. "But they're just kids."

Shadow Claw glared at Branch, who ducked his head down in shame and fear. "Wolf-trolls are some of the strongest creatures of the forest, Pup." Shadow Claw said. "We didn't get that way by showing mercy."

* * *

"Sneaking and camouflage are crucial for hunting skills." Shadow Claw said. "If you can't stay hidden from your prey, it will get away and you will go hungry."

"Okay." Branch nodded. "So how do we practice?"

"We're going to play a game of hide-and-seek." Shadow Claw said. "I'll count silently to thirty. That's thirty seconds you have to sneak around and find a hiding spot. If I find you by sight or smell or hearing, you lose and you go hungry."

"But if you search by smell, you'll find me no matter what." Branch pointed out.

"I won't be sniffing the ground." Shadow Claw said. "I'll be smelling the air and the wind. If you're upwind of me, the breeze will carry your scent right to me and give away your location. Stay downwind of me and remain quiet. Hide in a place where you blend in with your surroundings." He turned away and closed his eyes. "Your time starts now."

Branch first checked for a breeze. There wasn't one, though, so he would have to do the next best thing and just find a place to hide. Branch scanned the area and saw a collection of mossy, grass-covered rocks. He dove behind the rocks and curled up in a ball.

 _I wish I could look more like these rocks._ Branch thought as he shut his eyes. _I know I'm grey already, but what I really need is that grassy stuff. If I could find a way to look like that, then Shadow Claw would never find me!_

Shadow Claw opened his eyes. He sniffed the air a few times. He couldn't smell the pup, so that's a good start. Shadow Claw searched the area around him for any spots of grey or black. He didn't see anything, though. Part of him hoped that Branch didn't wander off too far away. A small voice in his head told him to take advantage of it and go home. But his conscience reminded him that he couldn't just leave the pup out here to fend for himself. He wouldn't last a day.

Besides, if Branch lived, he could tell everyone Shadow Claw's secret.

Shadow Claw searched the bushes and behind the trees and rocks. But he couldn't find Branch anywhere. The pup was doing a surprisingly good job of staying quiet.

"All right, Pup!" Shadow Claw called. "I give up! Come on out!"

"Nope! You gotta find me!" Branch called from his hiding spot.

Shadow Claw rolled his eyes. "When I do, you're in for it."

Branch covered his mouth to hide his snickers. Then, he noticed something, and his eyes widened when he realized what happened. "Whoa…"

Shadow Claw sniffed the ground and traced Branch's scent back to the collection of rocks. But he couldn't see the pup he trained. "Pup? Come on out, now. Where are you?"

"Here!" Branch's voice called from the rocks.

"Where?" Shadow Claw asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. He shouted in surprise when one of the grass-covered rocks _moved_ and broke away from the other rocks. Shadow Claw jumped back and watched as the black, grassy mass came forward. Then, the black grass shrunk to reveal Branch. The "grass" turned out to be Branch's hair, which receded back to its normal length.

"Ta-da!" Branch said.

Shadow Claw's jaw dropped. "How did you do that?"

"I was just thinking about how cool it would be if I could look more like those rocks." Branch said, pointing to the grass-covered rocks. "And then my hair stretched out and I used it to cover myself!" Branch laughed so hard he held his stomach. "You didn't even find me when you were sniffing me out! How's that for camouflage?"

Shadow Claw didn't answer for a moment. He stared at Branch like he had two heads.

Branch tilted his head to one side like a confused puppy. "What's the matter?"

Shadow Claw shook off his shock. "Uh, nothing."

"Okay." Branch shrugged. "Then let's get the next lesson! Come on, what can I learn next?"

Shadow Claw followed Branch as the pup trotted off to a new lesson location. The older wolf-troll didn't know what to make of this interesting ability the pup had.


	9. Wolf-Troll Lessons Continued

**Chapter Nine – Wolf-Troll Lessons Continued**

"Wolf-trolls are omnivores. You know what that means?" Shadow Claw asked as he and Branch walked along a creek.

"That we eat both plants and meat." Branch answered.

"Yes." Shadow Claw nodded. "This is one of the reasons we don't hibernate much in the winter like some of the other animals. When the snow falls and there aren't really any plants to eat, we hunt. Hunting is different from fighting. We hunt to eat. We fight to survive. Make sense?"

"Sort of." Branch said.

Shadow Claw looked around and stopped when he saw a small flock of beetles eating the leaves off some flowers in a field just down the hill. "We'll start small. You like beetles?"

"Not really." Branch said.

"Well too bad." Shadow Claw said. "We need to start small for your first hunting lesson. You aren't big enough to hunt anything larger than bugs. Now, have you had any hunting lessons yet?"

"Yeah!" Branch nodded enthusiastically.

"All right. Knock yourself out." Shadow Claw gestured to the beetles.

Branch went down on all fours and began creeping towards the beetles. He snuck into the flower field and slowly headed for the bugs. Shadow Claw watched Branch move, not willing to admit to himself that Branch actually knew how to hunt pretty well. Branch stayed low to the ground, his eyes trained on the beetles. He stared at each bug in turn to find an easy target. Only he couldn't really pick out which one would be the easiest to take down, so he went towards the beetle closest to him.

He tucked his legs under him and wiggled his shoulders in the way his mother did right before she pounced. His muscles tensed up, and he lunged forward.

Shadow Claw hummed to himself, rather impressed by Branch's ability to grab the beetle and tackle it to the ground. But before Branch could finish the bug, the beetle wiggled out of Branch's arms and flew off.

"Aw man." Branch pouted.

"Hey, keep your chin up." Shadow Claw said. "That was pretty good."

"Thanks." Branch said.

Shadow Claw noticed something. "Hey, were you always a blue-grey color?"

Branch stared at his hands. They did indeed have a more bluish hue to the grey pigment. He grinned broadly. "All right! My colors are coming back!"

"They were gone before?" Shadow Claw asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah! I used to be blue, and then I ran away and I guess I got so depressed that I turned grey with black hair." Branch said.

Shadow Claw stared at the boy. "Uh…..okay….."

Branch still grinned. "You know, I met my brother Cooper while doing some hunting practice."

"Cooper…..that llama your mom adopted?" Shadow Claw asked.

"You remembered that I said that?" Branch blinked in surprise.

"You rambled on and on and on about your pack. I had no choice but to hear it." Shadow Claw shrugged.

Branch laughed a little. "Well, I thought Cooper was a creature called a flozznap, and I managed to catch him. We became best friends after that, and then I saved him from his father."

"Why did you have to do that?" Shadow Claw asked.

Branch's smile slowly shrunk to a frown. "Cooper's dad used to hit him. _Hard._ It wasn't right. So he became my brother. I promised I would protect him." His eyes became glassy with unshed tears. "If I don't learn to be a good wolf-troll, I'll never be able to protect him."

Shadow Claw stared at Branch. "You seem a bit young to be worried about something like this."

Branch shook his head and glared. "Come on! Next lesson!" He turned and marched off.

"Hey Pup?"

"Yeah?"

"The tree is this way."

"I knew that!"

* * *

"Today is about fighting." Shadow Claw nudged a stick towards Branch, the same height as the pup. "Pick that up and hold it like you would when you fight."

Branch picked up the stick and held one end in both hands. He positioned the stick like a baseball player up to bat. "Like this?"

"No, no." Shadow Claw shook his head. "Your hands should be more towards the center of the stick." Branch obeyed, putting his fists right next to each other at the center of the staff. "Now spread your hands a little."

"This would be a lot easier if you could show me in your troll or even half-wolf form." Branch noted.

"Don't care." Shadow Claw huffed.

"How come you're never in your troll form?" Branch asked. "You're always in wolf form."

"Because I _like_ to be in my wolf form." Shadow Claw snapped. "Now stand ready."

Branch rolled his eyes and stood ready to fight. "How's this?"

"Good." Shadow Claw nodded. "You see that mushroom over there?" He gestured to a tall-stalk mushroom. "Use that as your punching dummy and your stick as your weapon."

"Okay." Branch swung the staff and stabbed it into the mushroom stalk. Shadow Claw raised a brow. The pup's strikes were firm and powerful, but also very sloppy. He had no sense of how to fight with a staff. In fact, Branch swung the stick so fast that it broke the next time it made contact.

"Nice." Shadow Claw droned.

Branch chuckled nervously. "Sorry."

Shadow Claw sighed. "Forget it. Go to your wolf form."

Branch hesitated. "Uh…..actually…"

"Come on, hurry it up." Shadow Claw ordered impatiently.

Branch sighed in embarrassment. "I can't. Remember? I don't know how."

"You don't know how to transform?" Shadow Claw asked. He seemed both surprised and sympathetic.

"I've been trying to learn, but nothing works." Branch said.

"How old are you?" Shadow Claw asked.

"Twelve." Branch answered.

"And you can't transform yet?" Shadow Claw scoffed.

"You're an adult. Why don't you change into your troll form?" Branch scoffed back.

"I don't want to."

"Then why do I have to change to wolf form?"

"Because I said so."

"What if I don't want to?"

Suddenly, Shadow Claw tackled Branch and pinned the pup to the ground. Branch breathed heavily, his eyes wild as he stared up at the silvery wolf-troll's bared teeth.

"I'm trying to teach you how to be a good wolf-troll, remember?" Shadow Claw snarled. "You need to know how to fight no matter which form you're in. I can't do that if you don't cooperate!"

Branch swallowed. "I just….I try to transform….and I…" He shut his eyes in shame. "I can't." He stared up at the silvery wolf. "But I want to learn. Will you teach me?"

Shadow Claw sighed heavily and shook his head. He stepped back and let Branch sit up. "Pup, you have a lot of potential. You have all the skills of a wolf-troll at your age, and you'll be a great wolf-troll when you're older. You don't need to transform."

"But I have to!" Branch insisted. "I can't fight well unless I do!"

"Why not?" Shadow Claw asked. "I'll bet your alpha knows how to fight when in troll form."

"I can't be a good wolf-troll unless I transform." Branch said firmly.

"Says who?" Shadow Claw huffed. "You know what? We're done with lessons today. Let's get back to the tree and sleep." He walked off before Branch could respond.

Branch slowly stood and followed a short distance behind Shadow Claw. It seemed he lost that bluish hue he had yesterday. It appeared he truly did lose his colors when he got sadder. Why would Shadow Claw not teach him how to transform? And why did he always stay in wolf form himself? Branch had to learn to become a wolf. It just seemed too weird for him to be born into a wolf-troll pack and have him _not_ transform into a wolf like his pack-mates.

 _A lot of the wolf-trolls in the pack transform without meaning to._ Branch pondered the idea. _Even Mom did. She would do it while she ran or right before she jumped into a fight._ Branch lit up a little. _Maybe that's what I need to do! I just need to get my blood pumping and my heart racing. Get the adrenaline flowing. Then I might just transform without feeling it!_ Branch glanced around. _But what could get the adrenaline flowing fast enough to cause a transformation?_

Shadow Claw just had to say something to the pup. He understood Branch's situation. He truly did. But could he open up to the young one? Shadow Claw cleared his throat. "Uh, Pup? You know you really _don't_ have to know how to transform to be a good wolf-troll. I know that seems weird. Wolf-trolls are supposed to be able to change from troll to wolf and back again at will. I understand that it may seem unnatural to _not_ be able to transform. But I speak from experience when I say that it's really all right." The silver wolf waited for the pup to answer. Oddly enough, none came. "Pup?" Shadow Claw looked back and did a perfect double-take when he saw Branch no longer followed him. "Pup? Branch! Where are you?" Shadow Claw's eyes darted around as he searched for Branch. Where could he have gone?

Meanwhile, a short distance away from Shadow Claw, Branch crept towards a large spider web that stretched across a few branches of a bush. The size of the web indicated a fairly large spider, much larger than himself.

"Hello?" Branch called, shaking one of the web threads. "Anybody up there?" He shook the web a bit more. "Come on." He muttered to himself. "Come on down, spider." After another minute of shaking the web, Branch saw movement in the bush. A strange clacking sound preceded the spider as it emerged from the shrubbery. That's when Branch began to regret his plan. The spider that came from the bushes was a tarantapuff: eight teal legs, a round purple body, blue lips, sharp and poisonous teeth, a tuft of lime green hair poking out of their heads, and four eyes that looked like disco balls. They were some of the more aggressive and dangerous spiders in the forest.

The tarantapuff hissed at Branch as it scuttled towards him.

Branch shook his head to get rid of his fear. "Even if I don't beat you," he murmured. "I'll still be able to transform now." He let out his best battle cry and charged forward. The spider made a clacking sound and snapped its jaws at Branch. The pup slid under the tarantapuff and kicked one of its legs. When the tarantapuff gave a chase, Branch ran as fast as he could. He darted under shrubbery and leaped over tree roots. His heart pounded and he already began breathing hard. That was a good sign. A bit more and he could transform, no doubt about it.

The tarantapuff snapped its teeth and grazed Branch's hair. The boy yelped and put on more speed. One thing was for certain: if he didn't keep ahead of this spider, it would swallow him whole. Branch jumped up and began climbing a tree. The spider stayed right behind him. Branch hurried up to the nearest tree limb and ran across it. Except he should've rethought that plan, because the next limb of the closest tree wasn't very close. But maybe if he bounced off the end of the limb he ran across, he would make it. It was either that or take his chances with the tarantapuff.

Using the end of the branch as a trampoline of sorts, the pup jumped into the air. He reached out for the other tree limb…

…..and missed.

Branch shouted as he began to fall, and he braced himself for a hard landing on the forest floor. Instead, he felt himself catch something, and he swung forward. Branch looked up and saw his hair had stretched again. This time, the pitch-black locks wrapped around the tree limb above Branch, allowing him to swing down and land unharmed on the forest floor. Branch thought it would hurt to have his hair pull like that, but he strangely felt nothing. Once his full body weight was on his feet, Branch's hair retracted to its normal length once more.

"Whoa." Branch breathed. He glanced upward at the cherries hanging from the tree before him. Biting his tongue in concentration, Branch swung his head a little and jerked it forward. His hair obeyed his whim, and it stretched up to grab one of the cherries and pull it down to him. Laughing, Branch tried it a few more times. He grabbed another cherry, a leaf from a bush, a petal from a flower, and a berry off another bush. Wait, that last one was snappier. Branch tried a shorter head jerk, and his hair flipped out and retracted quickly in a sort of whipping motion. Branch tried the hair whip a few more times, knocking berries loose from their bush. He laughed harder, in awe over this amazing ability of his.

 _Ssssssss_

The hiss made Branch pause and spin around, and he saw the tarantapuff had caught up to him. Unafraid, Branch started using the hair whip against the spider. The tarantapuff hissed again as the black hairs snapped across its face. "Take that!" Branch laughed. "And this! Get back!"

The spider suddenly shot forward when Branch reeled his head back for another whip. Branch yelped and stumbled backwards. The tarantapuff continued to crawl forward, and Branch crawled backwards until his back hit a rock. Branch stared in terror as the spider came closer, baring its venomous fangs.

Branch let out a scream.

And a flash of silver tackled the tarantapuff aside.

Branch's eyes widened in shock this time as Shadow Claw bit and clawed at the spider. When the wolf-troll jumped off the tarantapuff and snarled, he kept himself between the spider and Branch. The pup never saw this level of ferocity before, even from his own mother. Shadow Claw locked his glare onto the tarantapuff. When the arachnid tried to lunge again, Shadow Claw beat the creature to the punch and tackled it to the ground again. With a firm bite and a quick twist, the wolf-troll shattered the exoskeleton around the spider's eyes, killing it. The dead tarantapuff fell to the ground. Shadow Claw's breathing came out labored and rough as he stepped off the arachnid and looked to Branch. He stared at the pup in a way that asked, "Are you okay?" Branch only nodded in response, still in shock.

A clacking sound came from the shrubbery, and Branch and Shadow Claw looked up to see more of the tarantapuff spiders coming for them.

Shadow Claw started running, grabbing Branch by the suspender strap of his shorts. The wolf-troll galloped away with the spiders chasing after him. Branch felt a wave of déjà vu at the feeling of Shadow Claw carrying him in his teeth. He could've sworn this happened before, except there was something much deadlier than spiders chasing him. Shadow Claw didn't look back. He didn't want to know if the spiders were getting closer and he didn't want to toss Branch around any more than he already did. So the wolf-troll just kept running. He ran so fast, so determined to keep himself and Branch safe, that he didn't see the sheer drop-off until he fell down it. Shadow Claw kept his teeth firmly clamped on Branch's suspender as the two of them tumbled down the steep hill and towards a thick patch of thorny bushes.

Branch saw something sticking out of the ground: a thick limb of sorts, the remnants of the trunk of a bush, maybe. But it looked sturdy enough. Branch flicked his head forward and stretched his hair out. The black locks wrapped around the stick, and Branch and Shadow Claw jerked as they abruptly slowed down. The suspender strap tore free from Branch's shorts, but he grabbed one of Shadow Claw's paws and held on tight. He grit his teeth as his hair tightened and stretched. Then like a rubber band being snapped, the hair retracted and pulled Branch and Shadow Claw off the ground and into the air. Branch's hair returned to its normal length as he and Shadow Claw flew far over the tarantapuff spiders and back into the forest. The two of them hit the leaves of a tree, which slowed their fall until they hit the large leaf of a tall flower, which ultimately broke their fall.

For a moment, neither of them could speak since they panted so hard. Branch sat up and felt something land in his lap: his broken suspender strap. The other half of it was still clenched in Shadow Claw's teeth. Branch unclipped the remains of the suspender from his shorts. Thankfully his shorts still fit all right, and they looked mostly intact.

"Are you okay?" Branch finally asked Shadow Claw.

The silvery wolf-troll spit the suspender strap out of his mouth. "Fine….." He stared at Branch with an odd gaze.

"What?" Branch asked.

"How…..how did you _do_ that?" Shadow Claw asked in bewilderment.

"Do what?" Branch asked.

"That hair thing!" Shadow Claw snapped. "The way you stretched your hair and wrapped it around the twig and threw us into the air! How did you do that?"

"I don't know." Branch shrugged. "I just did it."

"What do you mean you 'just did it'?" Shadow Claw demanded.

"What? That isn't normal for wolf-trolls?" Branch asked.

"Of course not!" Shadow Claw growled. "It is not normal for wolf-trolls to stretch out their hair like that. Wolf-trolls don't manipulate that hair, either. Wolf-trolls don't change color when they're depressed. Wolf-trolls don't do any of those things that you can do!"

By then, Branch full-on cowered before Shadow Claw. He whimpered a little. Shadow Claw's glare softened, and he sighed heavily. He hadn't meant to scare the pup. He was just so confused. How could Branch do all these things?

"I'm sorry….." Branch sniffled.

 _Great. I made him cry._ Shadow Claw sighed again. "You don't have to be sorry." He nudged Branch gently. "Come on. Let's get back to the tree. It's been a long day."

Branch shakily stood and walked alongside Shadow Claw. They remained silent the entire walk back to the tree. Branch hung his head, rubbing his arm. Shadow Claw glanced to him, but stayed silent because he really didn't know what to say to make him feel better.


	10. Shadow Claw's Story

**Chapter Ten – Shadow Claw's Story**

It had been almost two weeks since Branch died.

Peppy had to do his best to show how unaffected he was by Branch's death. If anything, it upset him more that his mate still mourned. Rosiepuff lost all motivation, and it seemed to take all her energy just to keep up with the pack when they traveled. She didn't talk much or really do anything besides stare blankly off into space. The other adults mourned for the loss of the blue pup, but stayed strong for the sake of the pack, especially their own children. The pups would go about their lives as normally, but they would feel like something was missing, and they would remember the one they lost.

Two pups were affected the most: Suki and Cooper. They had yet to stop mourning, just like Rosiepuff. To them, Branch was a brother and not just a friend. It was hard to go through life like everything was normal.

Cooper tried to help his surrogate mother cope with the loss, but he didn't even know how to cope himself. He spent a lot of time by himself to figure things out. Right now, for example, he gave himself a bath in a creek. He left his hat on a rock and used a leaf to scrub out any dirt in his hair. After scrubbing, he just lay down in the water with his head sticking out for air. He let the cool water flow over him. Part of him wished the water would wash away all this sadness. He sighed heavily as he stood from the creek and shook himself to get rid of the water. He plopped his hat back on his head and stared at the grass, wondering what else he would do today. At the sight of some berries nearby, Cooper decided he was hungry, and he began eating.

"I heard the herd flew the coop."

"Would that make them a herd of birds, then?"

Cooper's ears perked up at the voices and rather annoying laughter. He glanced to the branches of the bush above him and saw a couple colorful birds with pointed beaks, a large crest of head feathers, and long tail feathers. Cooper rolled his eyes. These were birds known officially as rainbow robins. Their tendency to gossip and talk incessantly gave them the nickname "jabber jays." Cooper went back to eating his berries.

"You know, he really needs to start settling down." One of the birds said. "He's getting much too old for that sort of stuff."

"You're telling me." The second bird said. "And speaking of old, I've got some news on our favorite crotchety wolf-troll up on Ghostly Gorge."

"Oh?" the first bird mused. "Still scaring the other forest creatures?"

"Yes, but there's more!" the second bird said excitedly. "He seems to have taken in a little pup!"

"Him? Taken in a pup? Are you sure?" the first bird asked in disbelief.

"I swear by it!" the second bird declared. "He's teaching this adorable little pup all the skills of the wolf-trolls. And—you didn't hear this from me—but I think he actually _likes_ the little pup!"

"No!" the first bird gasped.

"Yes!" the second bird affirmed.

"Now see, what I want to know is what kind of pup would actually _want_ to hang around that old wolf-troll." The first bird wondered.

"That pup is certainly a sweetie." The second bird said. "A very interesting color, too. I don't see very many grey wolf-trolls."

"He's grey?" the first bird gasped. "How rare! How exquisite!"

"Let's see, what was his name?" the second bird thought for a moment. "Something to do with trees. Leaf? Limb?"

Cooper's eyes widened and he stared at the birds. "Branch?!"

"That's it!" the second bird confirmed.

"Do you know him?" the first bird asked Cooper. "Hey, where are you going?"

Cooper didn't hear the birds anymore. He charged back towards the pack as fast as his legs could carry him.

* * *

Suki sat curled up on a wide, flat mushroom. She stared off into space. Her heart hurt, and she felt like she had a hole inside her. She sighed softly, resting her chin on her knees.

Smidge, Guy Diamond, Fuzzbert, and Biggie came up and joined Suki on the mushroom. "Hey Suki?" Smidge piped up.

"You okay?" Guy Diamond asked.

"You want to play a game?" Biggie offered.

Suki sighed heavily. "No….." She looked to her friends. "The games just aren't fun anymore. Not when Branch is gone."

The pups came over and cuddled with their pack-mate. They missed Branch too. But unlike Suki and Cooper, the other pups of the pack just didn't know Branch all that well. It was getting hard to miss him, which only made the pups sadder.

" _Suki!"_

Suki and the other pups perked up at the shout, and they watched as Cooper came stampeding towards them. He ended up face-planting into a tree.

"Cooper?" Suki tilted her head in confusion. She and the pups hopped down to greet the llama. "What's up?"

Cooper shook his head to get rid of the dizziness. "Branch is alive!"

"What?" Suki gawked. "That's impossible!"

"No, it's true!" Cooper insisted. "I heard it from the jabber jays!"

Suki rolled her eyes. "The jabber jays love to gossip, Cooper. They're probably mistaken."

"No, listen!" Cooper pleaded. "The jays were talking about this wolf-troll up near Ghostly Gorge. He's training a wolf-troll pup and you know what his name is? Branch! Now how many wolf-troll pups do you know named Branch?"

Suki had to admit she only knew one. "But are we sure?"

Cooper thought about the birds' words. "Well, they did say the pup was grey—"

"So it's not Branch." Suki assured. "Branch is blue, not grey."

"But what if it _is_ Branch?" Cooper demanded. "We have to at least try, Suki! He would do the same for us!"

Suki stared off in the distance. Less than a day's journey away was Ghostly Gorge itself. If there was a chance—even the slightest, smallest chance—that Branch was alive, shouldn't they try and bring him home? If not for them, then for Rosiepuff? "I don't want to get our hopes up in case it's not Branch." Suki said. "But if it is, and he really is up on Ghostly Gorge, then we should go find him. He might be in trouble."

"Because Shadow Claw lives up there?" Cooper guessed.

"Shadow Claw isn't real." Suki said. "But there are plenty of creatures up there that like to hurt other creatures just for the fun of it. Even worse: beyond Ghostly Gorge lives the Bergens."

"W-w-w-what are Bergens?" Biggie gulped.

"They're mean, nasty creatures. Some of the biggest in the forest, but none too bright." Suki said. "They'll eat about anything, and they love wolf-trolls the best. They'll gobble us up in the blink of an eye."

"Then we have to hurry and save Branch before he gets eaten!" Cooper urged.

Suki looked to Ghostly Gorge again. "Okay. Okay, let's go." She began walking with Cooper towards Ghostly Gorge.

Cooper looked back and noticed they had followers. "Uh, Suki? I don't think this is a mission for more than two."

Suki stopped, and the other four pups bumped into her. "Guys, you have to stay here."

"Nuh-uh!" Guy Diamond crossed his arms.

"We don't have to!" Smidge agreed. Fuzzbert, in his wolf form, barked in agreement.

"You're not coming with us." Suki insisted. "We need someone to cover for us, especially if Rosiepuff starts looking for Cooper. If anyone asks where we are, tell them we're searching for things to eat for dinner." Suki said.

"Okay!" the other pups nodded in understanding.

"Thanks, guys." Suki nodded. She changed to her wolf form and she and Cooper galloped off towards Ghostly Gorge.

"You sure we shouldn't at least tell Rosiepuff?" Cooper asked.

"No." Suki said. "I don't want to get her hopes up. We may not find Branch at all."

"And if we do?" Cooper asked.

"We bring him home." Suki said in a firm tone. "No matter what it takes."

* * *

Branch and Shadow Claw remained silent the entire way back to the tree. Branch was too ashamed of himself to speak. Shadow Claw just didn't know what to say to the pup. They entered the tree without making a sound.

"Well, today wasn't full of our finest moments." Shadow Claw finally said. "But maybe we can try again tomorrow."

"Sure." Branch shrugged.

Shadow Claw clearly didn't get anywhere with that. He trotted to a small area of his tree home where the ground was smooth from being patted down and scratched. "Well, let's get some rest for now. I could use a nap myself."

"Okay." Branch trudged to a corner and curled up in a ball.

Shadow Claw sighed silently and went to his sleeping spot. He spun around a few times and lay down. Then he shifted to lay in the other direction. Then they lay on his back. He twisted and turned to find a more comfortable sleeping position on the rather hard bark of the tree. Even his years of scratching at the bark never did much to soften it. Branch watched with confusion and mild amusement as the old wolf-troll struggled to get comfortable.

"Dumb bark." Shadow Claw grumbled.

Branch laughed a little as he came closer to Shadow Claw. "Why don't you use leaves or stuff from outside?"

Shadow Claw huffed. "Never found anything that was soft enough. And these old bones are good for climbing even flower stalks to get good petals."

"My mom used to climb the lolli-flowers and get the really soft petals on the outside." Branch sighed. "It was always so warm and soft."

Shadow Claw smiled softly. "My mom liked the lolli-flowers, too. Always grabbed the outer layer flowers so the inner ones had time to grow. She always used flower petals for our little nest beds. Roll one up to put under my head."

"My mom did that too!" Branch said excitedly. "Lot of my pack-mates use leaves because they don't like smelling like flowers in the morning. But Mom always says flower petals are a lot softer."

"Yeah, and I'd take smelling like flowers over a bath any day." Shadow Claw chuckled. Branch laughed too. Shadow Claw liked seeing Branch cheer up. But it looked like Branch missed his mother greatly. "Hey, Pup? Why did you leave your pack, anyway? Don't you think your mom misses you?"

"Nah." Branch shrugged. "Not really."

"Well, she loved you, right?" Shadow Claw asked.

"Yeah." Branch shrugged.

"So why leave?" Shadow Claw asked, mostly out of confusion.

"Well why are you all alone?" Branch asked. "Didn't your pack love you?"

Shadow Claw didn't answer that. "Uh…..I'm going to take a look around. Patrol my territory."

"Can I help?" Branch requested.

Shadow Claw paused on his way out. "No…." He exited the tree and galloped off.

Branch slumped down onto Shadow Claw's bed spot, sighing. _Wow, this bed really_ is _hard._ Branch's brow furrowed in thought. _Maybe I can fix that._

* * *

Cooper and Suki reached Ghostly Gorge by about dinnertime and snacked on some berries they found while searching for a way in. They soon found a less-steep wall and slid down. While they tried to be brave, they couldn't deny that Ghostly Gorge definitely lived up to the spooky tales surrounding it. The breeze sounded like a voice in the walls of the gorge. It felt like something watched them as they walked. Even though it was still light out, the path felt dark and cold.

"Um, Suki?" Cooper gulped. "Isn't Ghostly Gorge where Shadow Claw lives?"

"Don't worry about that, Cooper." Suki said, trying to hide her fear. "Shadow Claw isn't real. Always remember that. Shadow Claw is not real."

"Great. Good to know. Now who's going to tell Shadow Claw that?" Cooper whimpered.

 _ROAR!_

The kids froze in fear and then shouted in terror. They hugged each other and whimpered.

Up on a ledge and unseen by the kids, Shadow Claw snickered to himself. He turned to an open hole and growled into it again. The roaring sound caused Suki and Cooper to run off in terror. Shadow Claw chuckled to himself as he crawled into a tunnel leading out of the gorge.

Suki and Cooper kept running as fast as they could. Cooper slipped into a hole, but Suki was too busy panicking to notice. She slammed into something soft and hit the ground. She shook off her dizziness and looked up.

Rudy snarled in his wolf form, and Suki yelped as she tried to run. But Rudy pounced on her and pinned the pup to the ground. "Gotcha!" Rudy laughed.

Aspen, in his troll form, clapped for his brother. "All right! Another pet!"

"Hey!" Suki whined. "Get off me!"

Aspen took a look at Rudy's catch. "Aw, Rudy! She's so cute!"

"She is, isn't she?" Rudy lifted up Suki by her scruff.

"Yeah?" Suki said sassily. "I'm also not appreciating this treatment!" She swiped her claws across Rudy's snout. Not hard enough to draw blood, but with plenty enough strength to make Rudy let her go. She ran off.

"Hey!" Aspen growled. "Only I get to do that to my brother!" He changed to his wolf form and darted after Suki. The orange-haired pup ran for her life.

Cooper poked his head out of the hole. "What'd I miss?" He yelped when he saw Aspen coming at him, and he ducked back into the hole. Suki managed to turn the tables, changing into her half-wolf form and chasing Aspen while making her scariest sounds.

"Now you're gonna get it!" Rudy growled, stopping Suki from chasing Aspen. Suki skidded to a halt and tried to run, but Rudy changed to his troll form and grabbed her by the back of her shirt.

"You know what? Maybe we should eat this one." Aspen suggested, panting heavily. Suki gulped.

Rudy shook his head. "Nah. She won't taste that great. But you know what we _could_ do?"

"What?" Aspen asked.

"Well," Rudy smirked maliciously at Suki. "We could use some hunting practice. And this little sprite will be a great target."

"Yeah!" Aspen agreed. "Let's let her loose and chase her all over the gorge!"

"I-I'm warning you!" Suki said with false bravery. "If you don't let me down, I'll really let you have it!" She grunted in pain when Rudy pushed her into a rock and pinned her there.

"Really?" Rudy snickered. "You'll let us have it?"

"Boys?" Mandy called from over the ridge. "Where are you?"

"Over here, Mandy!" Aspen called. "We found a wolf-troll pup!"

Mandy appeared and approached her brothers. She blinked in surprise to see the pup in Rudy's hand. "Well now, isn't this a surprise? Rudy, put her down." Rudy obeyed, but Suki couldn't escape before Mandy stood in her path. The troll-form teenager knelt down in front of Suki. "And just where did you come from, little one?"

Suki gulped. "Uh…..down the wall…..over there…"

"Must have been quite the slide down!" Mandy giggled. "Tell me, sweetheart: where are you from? Do you have a pack you belong to? Who's your alpha?"

Suki found her bravery. She could tell a malicious character when she saw one, and she had no idea what these juvenile wolf-trolls would do if they found her pack. "I'm not tell you anything! And you can't make me!"

Mandy giggled again. "Oh, honey." She changed to her half-wolf form and snarled at Suki, making the pup jump. "I think I can come up with many ways to make you talk. Or you can talk on your own. What'll it be?"

Suki swallowed. "Oh… _that_ pack…."

"There's a good girl." Mandy stood and walked off. Her brothers grabbed Suki by her arms and dragged her off as they followed Mandy.

Cooper peered out of the hole. The juveniles already disappeared with Suki. Cooper looked all around. "Suki? Suki! Where are you?"

* * *

Shadow Claw trotted back towards his tree with his head held high. He loved messing with the animals who fell into the gorge. It was great fun. He entered his tree home and paused. "What are you doing?" He asked Branch.

Branch looked up from his little project and stepped back to let Shadow Claw see the nest of flower petals he made. "There! You got a nice bed now."

Shadow Claw blinked in surprise. "You made that for me?"

"It's a lot more comfortable. You'll sleep better." Branch said.

Hesitantly, Shadow Claw stepped forward and poked at the bed of flower petals. It certainly felt soft. He stepped into the bed, circled it, and lay down. He sighed heavily in bliss. "Like sleeping on a cloud." He chuckled. His brow furrowed a bit, and he looked to Branch. "What'd you do this for?"

"You needed a better bed." Brach said. "You've done a lot to help me."

"But that's so you won't tell anyone my secret." Shadow Claw said. "This wasn't part of that deal."

"So?" Branch shrugged.

The old wolf-troll stared at Branch, and then smiled again. He tousled Branch's hair with his paw. "You're something else, Pup."

Branch grinned broadly. "So you like it?"

"It's great." Shadow Claw nodded. "Just like Mom used to make. Never had time to make it myself. Guess I was too busy."

"Too busy being Shadow Claw?" Branch guessed.

"Yeah. I guess you could say that." Shadow Claw shrugged.

"When did you decide you were going to be…..well, you?" Branch asked.

Shadow Claw developed a solemn look on his face, and he stood to walk over to the window hole. "It's kind of a long story, Pup. Depressing, too." He heard the _pitter-patter_ of little feet, and the old wolf-troll saw Branch sat beside him with an expectant smile on his face. Shadow Claw chuckled. "Okay. Well, first off, I gave myself the name Shadow Claw. My real name is Silver. You can guess why."

Branch nodded, staring in awe at Shadow Claw/Silver's beautiful silvery-grey fur. "So did you have a pack once?"

"Yeah. I was born into a pack that lived beyond Ghostly Gorge, far in the north." Shadow Claw said. "I was the son of the alpha, which meant I learned all the skills of wolf-trolls plus everything I needed to know for being an alpha. And I was good. I was _real_ good at what I did. But you know, there was something odd about me: I was born in my wolf form, and I couldn't change out of it. Now, when wolf-trolls are born, sometimes we come out wolves, sometimes trolls, and sometimes we come out in our half-wolf forms. But as time went by, I couldn't figure out how to change into my troll form. Of course, that didn't stop me from being the best that I could be. I became the best hunter in the entire pack. Put a little bit of pressure on me at times. There were moments when I was solely responsible for feeding the pack. But I did it. I took care of my pack as alpha and did everything I could to protect them."

Branch was in awe. "So what happened?"

The old wolf-troll's ears dipped. "Well, time went by. I got older, got slower. My daughter was learning to be alpha. After a while, I couldn't hunt very well. I couldn't keep up with the prey. So I decided I would be a fighter instead. I would protect the pack. But my daughter decided we had enough fighters. I was either a hunter or I was retired. My daughter basically took over the pack without giving me much of a say in it. One day, I woke up, and I had been left behind."

Branch looked down. "That's not fair."

Shadow Claw sighed. "Yeah. But I got over it. I accepted my life as a lone wolf-troll, and became Shadow Claw."

"Do you miss them?" Branch asked.

"Sometimes." Shadow Claw shrugged.

Branch looked out into the distance. "So, if you can't transform into a troll, how do you know you're a wolf-troll?"

"That's all I've ever known." Shadow Claw said. "Besides, I have this birthmark on my paw." He showed Branch one of his back paws. A strange marking could be seen on one of the pads of the foot: a paw print on the inside of the curve of a crescent moon.

"What is that?" Branch asked.

"The mark of a wolf-troll. All of us have it." Shadow Claw said.

Branch checked his palms and then both feet. "I don't have one. But I'm a wolf-troll."

"Uh….are you sure?" Shadow Claw asked hesitantly.

"Of course I am!" Branch insisted. "My mom's a wolf-troll. All my friends, everyone in my pack is a wolf-troll."

"Listen, Pup, you do things that wolf-trolls just don't do." Shadow Claw said. "You change color when you're depressed. You can stretch out your hair to fight and camouflage. Wolf-trolls just don't do that."

"But I _can_ do all the things wolf-trolls can do, right?" Branch asked.

"Yes, you can." Shadow Claw said thoughtfully. "Your parents are wolf-trolls?"

"Yeah. My mom's a wolf-troll, and her mate is a wolf-troll." Branch confirmed.

"But is her mate your dad?" Shadow Claw asked. "What if you're only half wolf-troll? And your other half is whatever gives you that hair and color-changing ability?"

Branch pulled down some of his hair to stare at it. "Then what am I? And what if this weird other half is what's stopping me from transforming?" He sighed and let his hair stand up again. "I'm a freak."

"No, no. You're just different." Shadow Claw assured. Branch still looked pretty dejected. Shadow Claw thought for a moment, and then gasped softly when an idea came to him. "Come with me. I think I know something you can do to prove you're a wolf-troll."

"What?" Branch asked excitedly. He followed Shadow Claw back down to the first level of the tree. They exited the tree and Shadow Claw coaxed Branch onto his back. Then, Shadow Claw leaped up and dug his claws into the bark of the tree, climbing up to the topmost branches. Branch had never seen a wolf climb a tree. The fast ride forced Branch to clench fistfuls of Shadow Claw's silvery fur. The moonlight made the fur almost shine.

"We're going to do something called a wolfsong." Shadow Claw said as Branch slid off his back. "You know what that is?"

"We do them every full moon." Branch said. "We sing or howl for the pack."

"It's more than just a song or a howl." Shadow Claw said. "It's the song of our hearts. The song that represents who we are better than anything else in the world. A song that we sing with our voices and with our howls. Listen. This one is mine." Shadow Claw leaned his head back and let out his howl. Branch listened carefully, and his eyes widened in awe. A wolfsong howl never sounded like any normal howl Branch heard. But this. Shadow Claw's wolfsong was beautiful.

"That's so cool." Branch breathed when Shadow Claw finished.

"Now do yours." Shadow Claw encouraged. "You can sing with words or your howl."

"But I don't have a wolfsong." Branch protested. "How do I know what it is?"

"A wolfsong isn't something you think about." Shadow Claw said. "It's something you feel. Just howl. Go on."

Branch licked his lips a little, and he tried howling. He tried to make it as musical as possible. "Like that?"

"No, no. You're thinking too much." Shadow Claw put a paw on Branch's chest, over his heart. "The wolfsong needs to come from here. Feel it. Don't think it."

Branch stared out at the stars. He closed his eyes and thought about who he was. What made him who he was? What did his heart tell him to sing? Branch cupped his hands around his mouth and howled. After a minute, the sound came out like a genuine wolf howl, and Branch slapped his hands over his mouth.

"Did I do that?" Branch gasped.

"Yes! Do it again!" Shadow Claw said excitedly.

Branch tried again, with more volume and plenty more heart. When he finished, he whooped and cheered for himself. "That's so cool!"

"What does it sound like with words?" Shadow Claw asked.

Branch thought about it, and he started to sing a little. He stopped after only one verse.

"That's all I got." Branch shrugged sheepishly.

"That's really great, Pup." Shadow Claw said.

"I really did it?" Branch asked. Shadow Claw nodded, and Branch cheered in elation.

Shadow Claw rolled his eyes. "All right. That enough. Time for bed." He lifted Branch up by his shorts and slid down the tree to the floor. He promptly dropped Branch on the ground, but the pup wouldn't be deterred. He practically skipped back into the tree with Shadow Claw. The silvery wolf-troll paused, and Branch stared at him questioningly. Shadow Claw stared at Branch with a strange look. "You know, I was thinking about something. Did you say you were going back to your pack after you were done with your training?"

Branch thought about it. "That used to be the plan. But…..I don't know…they've probably forgotten all about me."

"Well, if that's the case." Shadow Claw cleared his throat. "I just…..I could always use some help around here…maybe take on an apprentice."

"Apprentice?" Branch's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah. Maybe you could be a….a Shadow Claw Junior." Shadow Claw shrugged. "I mean, you don't have to. I was just thinking that if you wanted a home, you could have one here." He glanced around the darkened tree. "After all, it can get kind of lonely."

Branch thought about it. Him? A Shadow Claw? He grinned broadly. "That would be great!"

"Really?" Shadow Claw asked.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Branch hugged the silvery wolf-troll around his neck.

Shadow Claw chuckled and nuzzled Branch. "Come on, Pup. Let's get some sleep."

Branch followed Shadow Claw up to the sleeping area. Shadow Claw went to his new, flower petal bed and laid down. Branch tried to go into the corner where he wouldn't bother Shadow Claw, but the old wolf-troll gestured for him to come over. Branch bounded over and snuggled up close to the old wolf-troll's chest.

"Thanks, Shadow Claw." Branch yawned.

The silvery wolf-troll chuckled. "You can call me 'Silver,' if you want." Branch didn't answer, apparently already asleep. Shadow Claw shrugged and set his head down to sleep himself.

"I like 'Silver' better than 'Shadow Claw' anyway." Branch murmured in his sleep.

Silver smiled. "Thanks, Branch."


	11. Silver's Pup

**Chapter Eleven – Silver's Pup**

The pups of Peppy's pack tried to keep themselves busy with Cooper and Suki gone. They only hoped the eldest members of their puppy pack weren't gone long. Suki was still their unofficial leader, after all.

As they played, the pups ran right past some tall grass that separated them from the creek. Rosiepuff knelt on the edge of the banks of the creek. Her arm had since healed, but her heart was still broken. This was twice now that she lost a child. What sort of crime did she commit that condemned her to experience such pain? Rosiepuff stared at her reflection in the water. Branch once sat by the water like this, pondering his role in the pack and wondering if he was truly a wolf-troll. The memory only made Rosiepuff's heart heavier.

Guy Diamond tackled Biggie, and the two of them rolled into Fuzzbert who rolled into Smidge. The four pups tumbled through the grass, laughing heartily. But the laughter died off when they saw the solemn face of their matriarch.

"Grandma Rosiepuff?" Smidge said.

"Why are you sad?" Biggie asked.

"She misses Branch." Guy Diamond reminded them.

Rosiepuff glanced to the pups, tears still in her eyes. "Go run along and play."

"Oh, don't cry!" Smidge said. "Branch is—" Guy Diamond and Biggie covered her mouth with their hands.

Rosiepuff raised an eyebrow. That was awfully suspicious behavior. "Branch is what?"

Fuzzbert suddenly blurted it out in a series of garbles few could understand (one of those few being Rosiepuff). His blurb translated to, "Branch is alive and Cooper and Suki went to find him!"

Rosiepuff gasped in shock. Guy Diamond and Biggie face-palmed. Smidge and Fuzzbert looked sheepish. Rosiepuff stepped up to the children. "Where did Cooper and Suki go?"

The pups knew better than to refuse to answer their pack matriarch. "Ghostly Gorge." The pups chorused sheepishly.

Rosiepuff stared at Ghostly Gorge in the distance. It couldn't be. Could it? After Branch was swept away? Was it possible he survived? Even if not, Suki and Cooper were now on their own. "I'm going after them." Rosiepuff announced to the pups. "You all stay here." She started jogging towards Ghostly Gorge, changing to her wolf form on the way and galloping off.

* * *

Usually, in the mornings, Silver would have a crick in his back from sleeping on the hard tree bark. But this time, he woke up with the sunlight flowing through a hole higher up. He felt relaxed and calm. Silver yawned and blearily blinked his eyes open. He saw the flower petal bed he lay upon, and he smiled softly.

 _What a pup._ Silver chuckled to himself. In fact, Branch still lay next to Silver. Except the grey-colored pup lay twisted with his limbs at strange angles. It didn't look very comfortable to Silver, but Branch snored away without a care in the world. Silver rolled his eyes and nudged the pup. "Wake up, Branch. Come on, up with the sun."

"Five more minutes, Daddy." Branch mumbled.

Silver tensed up. _Did he mean that? No, come on, old boy. He's just tired._ Silver nudged the pup again. "Up and at 'em, Pup."

Branch yawned deeply and rolled over to go up on all fours. He stretched his limbs and shook himself. His half-lidded stare clearly conveyed his lingering sleepiness. "Morning."

"Morning, Pup." Silver said. He stood and stretched. "Come on. We got things to do."

"Like what?" Branch asked.

"While I go patrol our territory, think you can rustle us up some breakfast?" Silver asked.

"Yes sir!" Branch saluted to the wolf-troll as they made their way out of the tree. "Anything in particular?"

"Just whatever you can find." Silver shrugged. "And be safe, okay?"

"Okay!" Branch hurried off. "I'll be back soon!"

Silver watched the pup go, and he smiled to himself. _It's official. I've gone soft._

* * *

Cooper searched all night for Suki and ended up falling asleep in the middle of his search. When he awoke the next morning, he resumed his desperate search. The sooner he found Suki, the sooner they could get back to searching for Branch. Unfortunately, when Cooper finally located Suki, he found her still being held hostage by Mandy and her brothers. Mandy combed her hair with a set of old fish bones. Rudy used a tall rock as a punching bag. Suki, in her troll form, sat cross-legged on the ground with Aspen holding onto her shirt to keep her from going anywhere.

Suki caught sight of Cooper, and she looked around to make sure her captors were distracted. _Help me._ She mouthed.

Cooper thought quickly, keeping hidden behind a rock. He had to get those wolf-trolls away from Suki. If he could even just get a few of them away, it would let Suki work her sly magic. Cooper darted away to another rock, and he began howling in the way Branch taught him. He tried to sound as spooky as possible.

Mandy, Aspen, and Rudy perked up at the sound. "What's that?" Aspen asked.

"Stay here." Mandy changed to her wolf form. "I'll go check it out." She bounded off. Rudy went back to punching his rock.

Suki took her chance. "Wow, Rudy. Beating up on that rock? You must be pretty tough."

"Yep!" Rudy said.

"The toughest of your little pack?" Suki guessed. "How are you not the leader?"

"Mandy is much stronger than I am." Rudy said. "But I'm second-strongest."

"It shows." Suki said. "I'm so impressed!"

Aspen pouted a little. "Hey, I'm strong, too."

"Maybe, but not as strong as Rudy." Suki said. "I don't see you beating up on a rock."

"I can beat on a rock!" Aspen let go of Suki and began hitting Rudy's rock.

"Hey! That's _my_ rock!" Rudy tackled his brother, and the two of them began wrestling on the ground in their half-wolf forms. Suki snickered and scampered away.

Cooper hid as Mandy passed him, still searching for the creature who made that strange howling sound. Once she passed, Cooper silently slipped away to find Suki. The two of them literally ran into each other.

"Oh man am I glad to see you!" Cooper sighed.

"Good to see you too, buddy." Suki said. "Now come on! Let's get out of here before those wolf-trolls come back!" She and Cooper took off running. If they could find that slope that got them down there, maybe they could climb out and escape before Shadow Claw arrived.

But when they arrived at the slope, they still had trouble climbing up it. Even Suki's claws didn't help.

"Now what?" Cooper asked.

"There's only one thing to do." Suki said.

"What's that?" Cooper asked her.

"Help!" Suki screamed. Cooper mimicked her. They kept shouting for a few minutes until they heard something moving up on the ridge. A minute later, a vine fell down over the edge, and Suki and Cooper began their climb. They didn't stop until they reached the edge of the gorge, and they rolled themselves up to solid ground.

"Suki? Cooper?"

The two kids looked up and gasped. "Branch!"

"You're alive!" Suki cheered as Branch leaped into her embrace. Cooper wrapped his arms around them as well.

"And you're…grey…..I mean you're skin is turning grey!" Cooper said.

Branch glanced down to his blue-grey hands and touched his pitch-black hair. "Yeah. It's a long story."

"Oh, Branch, it's so good to see you!" Suki hugged him again. "We thought you were dead!"

"And then I heard from some birds that you were alive!" Cooper said. "And when we got to Ghostly Gorge, Shadow Claw almost ate us! And then those mean wolf-trolls caught us and we just managed to get away!"

"Wait, those mean wolf-trolls are after you?" Branch knew at once this meant Mandy and her brothers.

"I don't know how much longer my distraction will hold them off!" Suki gulped.

"Follow me!" Branch urged, gathering up the berries he dropped. The kids took off with Branch in the lead.

Only a few minutes later, Mandy and her brothers pulled themselves up over the edge of the gorge using the vine Branch had tossed for his friends.

"Thank you, little grey friend." Mandy said. "Come, dear brothers."

"Where are we going?" Rudy asked.

"We're following them, of course." Mandy said. "Our new pack is waiting."

* * *

Branch had to herd his panicking friends into Silver's tree home. When they got inside, Cooper and Suki ended up falling into the stream in their fear. Branch pulled his friends out.

"Did we make it?" Cooper whimpered, looking around the inside of the tree.

"Yep!" Branch nodded happily. "We'll be safe here." He hugged his friends again. "Boy, I sure missed you guys."

"We missed you too, buddy." Suki said. "That's why we came to bring you home."

"I'm not coming home." Branch said, walking up towards his and Silver's bed.

Cooper and Suki exchanged a worried and confused look before following Branch. "What do you mean you're not?" Suki asked.

"Because I'm a Shadow Claw now." Branch said, arranging the berries in a nice pile next to the bed.

"What?" Cooper blinked a few times. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm a lone wolf-troll. Now and forever." Branch said proudly. He rearranged the flower petal bed so it would be comfortable again tonight.

"Lone wolf-troll?" Cooper asked with a bit of a whimper in his tone.

"Yep." Branch nodded in confirmation.

"What about Mom?" Cooper asked.

Branch paused, and sighed as he stood. "She's….better off without me…..I mean, she's got you, Cooper." He hated seeing those looks of dejection on his friends' faces. "And I can't go back. I'm a Shadow Claw now."

"What are you talking about, Branch?" Suki demanded. "Who is this Shadow Claw monster anyway?"

Branch laughed. "He's not a monster! He's my friend! My new pack!"

"What?" Suki gawked, both in confusion at Branch's revelation and a little shocked that he apparently found a new pack.

"Hey Branch!" Silver called as he entered the tree. "I wasn't sure if you liked deechicks or not, but I managed to catch a couple to go with our breakfast!"

"Coming!" Branch called. "I got a surprise for you!"

"You do?" Silver dropped his catch by the door and trotted up to Branch as he bounded up to him. But the silvery wolf-troll froze when Suki and Cooper hesitantly followed Branch. Out of instinct, Silver jumped between Branch and the newcomers and snarled. Cooper ducked behind Suki, who shifted to her wolf form and snarled back at Silver.

"Hey whoa!" Branch yelped, jumping in front of Silver. "It's okay! They're friends of mine!"

"Friends?" Silver repeated. Branch nodded feverishly. Silver glared at Suki and Cooper. The former had yet to drop her defensive stance. Silver leaned in closer to Branch. "You know, I don't like having other people in our home, Pup. I think we went over this."

"I know." Branch said. "But we needed protection from some really mean wolf-trolls."

Silver glared at Suki and Cooper. "Then we'll lead them beyond our territory and they can go home."

"Sounds great." Suki said. "But I think we can find our own way. Come on, Branch."

Silver pushed Branch behind him. "I don't think he _wants_ to go with you."

"And who are you to decide that?" Suki growled.

"He decided that himself. I'm training him." Silver said.

"Branch, come on." Suki urged. "Let's go home."

Silver growled, his sharp teeth bared. "He's staying here."

Suki mirrored the silvery wolf-troll's look. "Oh I don't think so."

"Guys, just stop it!" Branch snapped. "Suki, Silver is training me to be a Shadow Claw."

"And what does he know about being Shadow Claw?" Suki demanded.

"Well, he _is_ Shadow Claw." Branch said.

"What?" Cooper gawked. "But Shadow Claw is a monster!"

"Nah." Branch waved a hand dismissively. "Silver is Shadow Claw!"

" _What?!"_

Everyone spun around to the entrance of tree, where Mandy, Rudy, and Aspen stood. The three juveniles looked furious.

"You're telling me that this old bag of fur is Shadow Claw?" Mandy snarled, staring at Silver. "My brothers and I have been trapped in that thrice-forsaken gorge because of _you_?!"

Silver snarled at them. "You're the ones who trespassed."

"Ooh, why I oughta—" Rudy changed to his wolf form, and he snarled and barked.

Silver made sure to stand between Branch and Rudy. "Get out of my den you mangy curs."

"First, I think you need to be taught a lesson." Mandy said. She and Aspen shifted to their wolf forms as well. "Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it."

Branch jumped forward and growled. "You leave him alone!"

"Yeah, twerp?" Aspen growled and barked. Branch jumped a little, but stood firm. He braced himself when Aspen lunged for him, but soon found he didn't have to. Silver intercepted Aspen, and the two of them hit the ground wrestling. They snarled and bit and clawed each other. Rudy soon jumped into the fray while Suki yanked Branch back to her. They and Cooper watched in horror at the vicious fight. Suki and Cooper hated to admit it, but it appeared Silver was actually protecting Branch. He fought in defense of the pup.

Luckily, Silver was plenty strong enough to hold off Rudy and Aspen. He grabbed Aspen's scruff in his teeth and threw him into the stream. Then Silver tackled Rudy to the ground and snarled in his face. Mandy suddenly shot forward and slammed into Silver and pinned him to the ground.

" _Stop it!"_ Branch shot his hair out, whipping it across Mandy's face and sending her to the ground.

Aspen and Rudy were at their sister's side in an instant. Mandy shifted to her half-wolf form and sat up, shaking her head. She and her brothers stared at Branch. Suki and Cooper stared at him too with those same looks of shock. They had never seen someone using their hair as a weapon.

Silver shakily stood and locked eyes with Branch. The old wolf-troll nodded, both prideful and thankful, and he glared at Mandy, Aspen, and Rudy. "I think you better leave now."

Branch stood next to Silver. "Yeah! Get out of here!"

Mandy stood, and her brothers changed to their half-wolf forms. "Fine. We have a pack to find anyway." Mandy said. She turned and left. Her brothers followed her.

"What's she talking about?" Branch asked Suki and Cooper.

"She wants to challenge Peppy and take over the pack!" Cooper said.

"What?" Branch gasped.

"They squeezed it out of me." Suki shrugged sheepishly.

"We have to go warn Peppy and quick!" Cooper urged.

"Okay, yeah." Branch nodded. "Where's the pack?"

"We're down by Starlight Falls." Suki said. "Less than a day's journey away."

"Silver, what's the fastest way to get there?" Branch asked.

"We're not helping them." Silver scoffed. "If they didn't want their pack found, they shouldn't have blathered about it."

"Silver, please!" Branch begged. "You're the only one who knows this area!"

Silver rolled his eyes. "Fine." He looked to Suki and Cooper. "Follow the water upstream until you reach the bramble bushes, go through those bushes, go straight, and you'll reach a river that will lead you to the falls. There. I helped."

"No, come on!" Branch pleaded. "You have to lead us. We can't let those guys get to the pack!"

"Let them take care of it." Silver nodded to Suki and Cooper. "It's not our problem."

"But it's my family!" Branch protested.

"You're the one who said your family was better off without you." Silver reminded him. "Come on, Branch. You don't need them and they don't need you."

"We _do_ need Branch!" Suki protested. She had changed to her troll form now that the danger passed. "Branch, let's go. We need to warn everyone."

"Wait, wait!" Branch stared at Silver pleadingly. "Silver, we can't do this without you."

"You don't need them anymore, Branch." Silver said. "You have me now. You're the one who said your family was better off without you."

Branch sighed. "I know. But I still can't just sit by and watch those guys hurt them."

"This isn't what we do, Pup." Silver insisted. "Lone Wolf-Troll philosophy, remember? We don't need anyone but ourselves."

Branch frowned now. "You're right. Maybe they don't need me, and I probably don't need them. But if I stay here, knowing that they might be in trouble, I will never be able to live with myself. So I'm going! You can either help me or not." He turned and marched for the exit, leaving Silver to stare after him. "Come on, guys!" Branch urged. "I think I know a way we can beat those guys down the mountain."

"Right behind you, buddy!" Cooper cheered. He and Suki bounded after their friend.

Silver watched them go, and he growled. "Fine. Be that way." He picked up the deechicks he caught and marched up to his bed. He paused when he saw the neat pile of blueberries next to his bed. The bed of flower petals that Branch made for him. Branch didn't do it because it was part of some deal or because he felt like he owed Silver anything. The pup simply did it out of the goodness of his heart. There was a kind, selfless pup who looked out for others. He would make a great alpha someday, in Silver's opinion.

The old wolf-troll sighed. He never should've let Branch leave. Then again, it would be wrong for him to keep Branch here against his will. It's just that the pup made him happy. Happier than he had felt in a long, long time. Silver actually started to enjoy being with Branch, and he wanted the pup to stick around.

"What did I do?" Silver sighed.


	12. Fight for Family

**Chapter Twelve – Fight for Family**

With Branch leading the way, the kids could make it down Ghostly Gorge much faster. They stopped at a clearing and scanned the area.

"Which way now?" Suki asked.

"Well, we have two options." Branch said. "If we go this way and follow the river, we'll reach Starlight Falls by the afternoon. If we go that way, we'll reach the pack in a few hours, but it's a steep drop down a hill."

"Can we get down the steep hill safely?" Suki asked.

"We'll be sliding and tumbling a bit, but yeah." Branch said.

"Then I say we take the hill." Cooper said.

"Agreed." Suki nodded. Branch led them down the path, and they stopped at the top of the steep hill where the tree line sat.

"Now we just have to slide down." Branch said. "Maybe we can get one of those big leaves from those plants to cushion the fall."

"You sure those mean wolf-trolls won't catch up? Or beat us there?" Cooper gulped.

"They'll have gone around and stuck to the forest." Branch assured. "With the way we're going, we'll beat them by at least an hour."

"Wait, what's that?" Suki stared off into the distance.

"Is it them?" Cooper whimpered a little. He _really_ didn't want to run into Mandy and her brothers again.

"No." Suki squinted, and then her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! It's your mom! It's Rosiepuff!"

"What?" Branch and Cooper said at once. They followed Suki's point to the cliff of a rocky hill near them. They could just make out the green speck on top of the boulders that was indeed Rosiepuff in her wolf form. She howled into the sky.

"She's trying to find us!" Suki changed to her wolf form and howled back. She, Cooper, and Branch waited, and Rosiepuff sent back another howl. Suki howled in response. There was a long pause before Rosiepuff tried a third time.

"What's she saying?" Cooper asked.

"She's searching for us. I'm trying to reply, but I'm not loud enough!" Suki whimpered. "She can't hear me!"

"Keep trying!" Cooper urged as Rosiepuff began turning to walk away. Suki howled with all her might. But her voice just wasn't strong enough. Rosiepuff disappeared over the ridge.

Branch looked around. If they tried to run down the hill, they'd trip and hurt themselves. They had to get Rosiepuff to hear them. He noticed a large tree nearby was rather hollow. "Guys! I got it!" Branch scrambled over to one of the holes in the tree and mustered all of his strength. Just as Silver taught him, he sent out a loud locator howl. Suki and Cooper looked to the ridge and gasped happily when Rosiepuff appeared again. The green alpha female howled for them again.

"It's working!" Suki cheered.

"All together!" Branch ordered. Suki and even Cooper joined him at the hole in the tree, and the three of them howled into it. The echoing sound traveled well across the sky and right towards Rosiepuff. When she howled back, Suki squealed happily.

"She heard us!" Suki yipped. "She's coming this way!" Sure enough, Rosiepuff began galloping down the hill and in their direction.

"Come on!" Cooper urged. "Let's not keep her waiting!" He, Suki, and Branch took off down the less-steep part of the hill, tumbling a little bit but resuming their run once they reached flatter ground. Branch ran faster than his friends. Despite his determination to keep his mother safe, he couldn't deny how much he missed her. He wanted to feel her hugs again and hear her songs. The thought of all that being so close made him run faster.

"Mom!" Branch called. "Mom!"

"Ha!"

Branch shouted in surprise and fear. He skid to a halt before he could crash into wolf-form Rudy. Suki and Cooper bumped into Branch as they stopped too.

"Well what do we have here?" Mandy mused as she and Aspen caught up with their brother. "Thought you could beat us back, hmm?"

"We won't let you hurt our pack, Mandy!" Suki growled.

"You think we _like_ being lone wolf-trolls?" Aspen huffed. "That pack will take us in or take the consequences."

"And no little punks are going to stop us." Rudy snarled and barked. Branch, Suki, and Cooper cowered, despite their best efforts to be brave.

"You don't have to kill anyone just to get a new pack." Branch said.

"That's life, twerp." Rudy shrugged. "Sometimes to get what you want, you have to take it by force."

"What are we going to do with them?" Aspen asked.

"Just leave them." Mandy ordered. "We have a pack to find."

"Well we can't let them warn the alpha." Rudy protested. "I say we take care of them right here, right now."

"If you want to waste your time with that, then just make it quick." Mandy sighed impatiently.

Branch, Cooper, and Suki huddled together in fear. Rudy crouched down, ready to pounce. He lunged….

…..and quite suddenly, a green mass came from the forest and tackled Rudy aside.

"Mom!" Branch gasped.

Rosiepuff grabbed Rudy's scruff in her teeth and threw him hard enough to send him flying through the air and crashing into his siblings. The three of them yelped as they tumbled into the bushes. Rosiepuff still snarled a bit, her ears flat against her head and her hackles raised. Rosiepuff changed to her troll form just in time to catch Cooper, and she held him close. Soon after, Branch leaped into her arms. She squeezed him tightly, afraid he would disappear if she let go. She kissed his head half a dozen times.

"Branch." Rosiepuff sighed. "You're here. You're here and you're…grey…sweetheart, why are you grey?"

Branch shrugged sheepishly. "It's a long story."

"Let's just go home, please." Suki requested.

"Mind if we come?" Aspen snarled as he, Rudy, and Mandy emerged from the bushes. They stood in their wolf forms, ready to fight. Rosiepuff changed to her half-wolf form and growled back. She pushed the pups behind her.

"I like to consider myself a patient troll." Mandy growled. "But you are really pushing my buttons!"

"Let's get 'em, Mandy!" Rudy practically begged. "I haven't had a good fight in years!"

"Fine." Mandy said. "It'll be good practice for beating that alpha."

Rosiepuff shifted to her full wolf form, snarling. "You stay away from them."

"Or what?" Rudy scoffed.

"Or you'll answer to us!" Branch growled.

"You and what army?" Aspen laughed.

 _ROAR!_

Everyone froze at the monstrous roar. It echoed around them.

 _Shadow Claw?_ Branch's head swiveled around to find any spot of silver.

A rumbling sound came, and Rosiepuff pushed the pups back as a boulder came rolling towards them.

"Oh no!" Aspen yelped as he and his siblings ran.

"Not again!" Mandy screamed.

Once they disappeared, a familiar face emerged from the shrubbery. "Well, that worked better than I thought it would."

"Silver!" Branch cheered, running up and hugging the old wolf-troll.

"Branch!" Silver laughed, nuzzling his head against Branch's. "I forgot to tell you something before you left!"

"Yeah?" Branch tilted his head in confusion.

"I finally figured out what you are!" Silver declared happily. "You're a wolf-troll!"

Branch blinked a few times. "You sure? I mean, with the color and the hair and I can't even transform—"

"Pup, if I can be a wolf-troll without transforming into a troll, you can be a wolf-troll without transforming into a wolf." Silver assured. "And those hair powers? Those are so cool! You can do some great things with those powers."

Branch smiled. "Really?"

"Hair powers?" Rosiepuff raised an eyebrow.

"Another long story." Suki said.

Some loud barks echoed from the trees.

" _When I get my paws on you punks, I'll tear you limb from limb!"_ Rudy shouted.

"Don't those guys _ever_ give up?" Cooper groaned.

"Branch, you watch over your friends." Silver instructed. "I'll take of this."

"Yes sir!" Branch saluted.

Silver looked to the green wolf in front of the pups. "You must be Branch's mother."

"I am indeed." Rosiepuff nodded.

"That's one remarkable little boy you have." Silver complimented.

Rosiepuff smiled proudly at Branch. "I know." Mandy, Aspen, and Rudy were on their way. Their paws pounded on the ground as they ran. "Mind if I lend you a paw?" Rosiepuff asked Silver.

"After you, milady." Silver said.

Just as the juvenile wolf-trolls leaped from the bushes, Rosiepuff and Silver lunged into battle. Mandy and Aspen took on Silver while Rosiepuff tackled Rudy.

"Go Mom! Go Silver!" Branch cheered.

"Kick his tail, Rosiepuff!" Suki cheered. Rosiepuff and Silver could hold off Mandy and her brothers pretty well. Above all, they made sure to keep themselves between the young pups and the wolf-trolls they fought. Silver proved himself a formidable opponent. Not only could he bite and scratch and wrestle like other wolf-trolls, but he also leaped over Aspen to avoid his lunge. Silver even ricocheted off the trees and climbed up to the lower limbs, leaping down to tackle his opponents. He hadn't lost his touch, even after all these years. Of course, the adrenaline coursing through his veins certainly helped.

Branch was so impressed by how Silver and Rosiepuff fought, and he watched them carefully while making mental notes about things he would have to practice himself. The fight was so fierce that even the birds began to fly away in fear.

Wait…..they weren't flying from the fight…

Branch looked up to see flocks of birds flittering through the trees from deeper in the forest. A handful of other forest creatures darted around the fight as they fled for their lives. Branch's ears twitched, and he put one ear to the ground. Yep, he definitely heard a thumping noise that sounded suspiciously like heavy footsteps.

"Uh, guys?" Branch piped up, catching his friends' attention. "Something's coming."

"Yeah?" Suki swiveled her ears around. "I think I hear it too."

"Should we tell those guys?" Cooper nodded to the fighting wolf-trolls.

"I ain't getting in the middle of that." Suki said.

When Rosiepuff and Silver broke away from their opponents, they made sure to position themselves between the pups and Mandy and her siblings. Mandy, Rudy, and Aspen snarled and growled. They weren't beat yet, but it would take a lot more work to defeat Rosiepuff and Silver in battle. They didn't really notice the thumping sound until the flowers and the ground began to shake. The fight paused as the thumping grew louder. Mandy, Rudy, and Aspen saw their opponents no longer looked at them, but instead tilted their heads up to stare at something behind them. Slowly, the teenaged wolf-trolls turned to see what everyone stared at with such horrified expressions. When they saw it, their eyes nearly popped out of their skulls from being so wide.

The three creatures behind them were very tall, two of them with gray-green skin and one with grayish lavender skin. They wore what looked like chef outfits.

"Bergens." Suki breathed.

"Run!" Silver ordered.

Every wolf-troll turned tail and ran for their lives. The Bergens gave a chase. Their long legs allowed them to stay right behind the wolf-trolls. The chase took them all to the edge of Ghostly Gorge.

Silver bounded up to run beside Branch. "Branch, you have to get the kids and your mom out of here. Run. Hide. Get somewhere safe."

"What about you?" Branch asked worriedly.

"I'm going to distract the Bergens!" Silver turned and scaled a tree, bouncing off it to kick one of the Bergens in the eye. The Bergen stumbled into his cohorts, and all three of them crashed to the ground. Rosiepuff and Mandy skidded to a halt and went back to help Silver fight.

"Mandy, wait!" Rudy called.

"Rosiepuff!" Suki shouted.

Branch scanned the area. "Follow me!" he barked. "Let's go!" He spoke with such a commanding tone that the surprised pups and juveniles felt compelled to obey, and they followed Branch towards another, larger tree. Branch herded everyone into a hole amongst the roots.

"Now what?" Aspen whimpered.

"You all stay here." Branch ordered. "I'm going to help them!"

"What?" the pups all spoke simultaneously.

"Are you crazy?" Rudy gawked.

"Branch! Come back!" Cooper pleaded as Branch bounded off. Branch didn't listen. He knew what to do to help, and he wouldn't mess up this time.

"Chad! Todd!" the purple Bergen screeched. "Get those wolf-trolls!"

"Yes, Chef!" the other two Bergens saluted and went after Silver, Rosiepuff, and Mandy. But the three wolf-trolls would bite and scratch and jump around to avoid the Bergens. The wolf-trolls may have been much smaller compared to the Bergens, but they were plenty fierce. It didn't take much for them to hold off the Bergens and escape when they were grabbed. But there was the question of how long they could keep this up. Bergens were notoriously stubborn, just as much as they were dumb.

Branch watched the fight from the limbs of a tree, and the gears in his brain churned at lightning-fast speeds as ideas came to him. He shot his hair out to grab another limb, and he swung down to the forest floor. Again, when he expected his scalp to hurt from his hair being pulled, Branch felt nothing; and he began to wonder how far he could push that. He ran around the tree as Chad darted after Silver. When Silver passed him, Branch shot his hair out again from his hiding spot. The ends of his hair hooked around the root of another tree, and Chad tripped over the black locks. Branch retracted his hair and locked eyes with Silver. The old wolf-troll caught on, and he galloped over to help Mandy shake off Todd.

When Chad lifted up his head, moaning and groaning about the pain he was in and wondering how it happened, Branch came up and whipped his hair across the Bergen's nose. Chad yelped in pain, and he tried to clap his hands around Branch. But the little pup stretched his hair up to a tree limb and pulled himself to safety. Branch used his hair to swing from tree to tree, and Chad chased him while swatting at the pup as though he were a fly. Chad missed every time, and he didn't see Todd chasing Silver until the two Bergens crashed into each other.

Silver jumped up on top of a rock. "That the best you got, punks?" He blew a raspberry at Chad and Todd. The two Bergens growled in irritation and resumed chasing Branch and Silver. Of course, the crafty pair always stayed two steps ahead of the Bergens. Silver would jump and ricochet off trees and rocks or dart under the Bergens legs or climb up to their shoulders to bite their ears. Branch used his stretching hair to trip the Bergens, make them punch themselves in the face, or whip them in the nose. With the two of them working together, it didn't take long before Chad and Todd were basically beating each other up in their frustration. While they did, Branch positioned himself near a hill, and Silver scaled a tree and trotted out on a branch at Chad and Todd's eye-level.

"Boo!" Silver barked.

Chad and Todd jumped with a shout, stumbling backwards. Branch stretched his hair out to trip them, and the two Bergens tumbled and rolled down the hill and collapsed in a heap at the bottom.

"All right!" Branch cheered.

"Nice moves, Pup." Silver complimented as he came to stand beside Branch.

The grey pup beamed with pride, but then his face changed to one of horror. "Where's Mom? And Mandy? And that other Bergen?"

Silver scanned the area, his ears swiveling around. He caught sight of Chef, the purple Bergen, climbing some rocks near the edge of Ghostly Gorge. "Over there! Come on!" He and Branch took off. They were unaware of Rudy, Aspen, Suki, and Cooper following them.

When Silver and Branch got close enough, they saw that Chef had Rosiepuff and Mandy cornered on a boulder. If the wolf-trolls tried to jump, Chef would catch them all too easily. Already, the Bergen prepared a cage for her soon-to-be meal.

Branch's blood boiled at the sight of his mother in danger. He immediately started scaling the rocks to get closer. "Branch!" Silver hissed, hoping the Bergen wouldn't see or hear them coming. "Branch, wait!"

Branch didn't listen. He climbed around the back of the boulder where Chef couldn't see him, and he quietly stretched out his hair to latch it onto a groove in the boulder. When Chef reached for her prey, Rosiepuff bit her as hard as she could. Chef screeched in pain as she recoiled. Mandy changed to her troll form and ran across Branch's hair. Rosiepuff followed suit. But they didn't make it very far before Chef swatted them off Branch's hair. The jerking motion also sent Branch flying. He and Rosiepuff hit the rocks, and they scrambled to get out of the way as Chef lunged after them. Mandy screamed as she fell. Her trajectory would take her down into the gorge and to the hard rocks below. The landing would surely result in a serious injury or even death, and she braced herself for impact.

Then, Silver appeared, and he leaped high into the air to push his back into Mandy. She instinctively grabbed fistfuls of his fur and hugged him tightly. Silver landed on all four paws with Mandy still on his back. Mandy breathed heavily. She was still terrified from the fall, and now surprised that Silver actually saved her. But Silver and Mandy couldn't relax for long. Chef's movement kicked loose too many rocks, and a landside began to form. Mandy clutched Silver like a possum kit holds onto its mother, and Silver darted away as the rocks began to fall. Chef got caught on the boulder, and she reached her hand out to grab at least one wolf-troll.

To Branch's horror, Chef reached right for Rosiepuff. "Mom!" Branch screamed, sprinting towards her. "Watch out!"

Rosiepuff didn't seem to hear him, or maybe she was too busy trying to get her footing on the slippery rocks. Chef was getting closer. Branch picked up the pace and practically body-slammed Rosiepuff to push her out of the way. Chef's hand closed around him just as the Bergen and the boulder began to fall. They tumbled into the gorge and went straight to the bottom.

Both the Bergen and Branch disappeared under the rocks.

* * *

When the landslide finally settled, everyone climbed to the bottom of the gorge as fast as they could. They worked together in a desperate venture to find Branch. Even Mandy and her brothers helped. They called Branch's name and dug through the rocks. As the search stretched into a few hours, the anxiousness rose from the search party. Rosiepuff desperately pushed rocks over and shouted for her son. She couldn't lose him again. Not when she just got him back.

Silver dug through the rocks and jumped back when he found the closed fist of Chef. But the hand didn't move, so it was safe to assume Chef had been crushed to death by the rockslide and hitting the bottom of the gorge. Silver caught a whiff of a familiar smell, and he sniffed Chef's fist. He could smell Branch. The pup was still in Chef's fist! That could be really good or really bad. Either Chef would've inadvertently protected Branch from the slide, or he would've been crushed by Chef's grip. Silver clawed at Chef's fingers, using his claws and his teeth to wrench open the Bergen's fist. He finally managed to pry open the fingers enough to see a tuft of black hair, and Silver gently grabbed Branch in his teeth to pull the pup free. Silver lay Branch on the ground, analyzing the pup for wounds. Branch seemed unharmed, but he lay deathly still.

"Branch?" Silver nudged Branch gently. "Pup? Hey, come on. Get up." Branch still didn't move. Silver pushed him again. "Branch? Oh come on, don't do this to me." He stared at Branch with an almost pleading gaze. He didn't want to touch him any more in case Branch was hurt. The pup still didn't move. Silver's head lowered, and he sat back on his haunches. He squeezed his eyes shut.

The rest of the group caught up, and they froze when they set eyes on the scene. Rosiepuff's hands flew to her mouth, and she collapsed to her knees. Tears welled up in her eyes. Mandy, Rudy, and Aspen stared in shock. They were also ashamed, because they knew the only reason they were alive now was because of Branch. Suki and Cooper couldn't believe they lost Branch yet again. They whimpered sadly.

"Not again." Cooper stared at the ground, his ears drooping.

Silver softly nuzzled his head against Branch's, sighing softly. He hummed a little, and then began to sing quietly.

 _All my life, I spent my time alone  
I thought that I could make it on my own  
Don't wait for anyone, don't need their help  
Never knew that I put myself in a shell_

 _Then I met you, and all that changed  
How crazy, my whole life was rearranged  
And maybe I yelled, when I couldn't vent  
Now I see it was worth it in the end_

The wolfsong was one of the most precious trademarks of the wolf-trolls. It was a song that told a story or embodied an emotion. The wolfsong was the best representation of a wolf-troll. The song itself was not an indication, but the way Silver sang told the wolf-trolls around him that this was his wolfsong.

 _My life has been made better  
because you came in it  
You bright in light when all seemed dark  
Changed the way that I've been living  
I'm not afraid to let you in  
You made my life better in the end_

Silver sighed heavily. _I'm sorry, Branch. I shouldn't have let you leave._

A soft light caught Silver's eye, and he blinked in surprise to see a blue light spreading across Branch's body. His grey skin and black hair turned back to blue. Then, Branch coughed a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The now-blue pup grinned a little. "Hey Silver."

Silver laughed and nuzzled Branch lovingly. "Hey there, Pup."

Suki and Cooper stampeded over and dog piled onto Branch in a group hug. Rosiepuff smiled again as she came up to them. Branch jumped up to hug her again.

"I don't think I can let you out of my sight again." Rosiepuff said.

"I'm sorry I left, Mom." Branch sighed. "But I didn't want to hurt you."

"Branch, you _saved_ me." Rosiepuff assured.

"You saved all of us." Suki agreed.

"You even saved us." Mandy said as she and her brothers approached the group. They had changed into their half-wolf forms. "You didn't have to do that."

"What else was I supposed to do?" Branch shrugged.

"Well we didn't exactly deserve it." Mandy said. "So, we're sorry. We shouldn't have attacked you."

"But what about our new pack?" Rudy protested. Mandy smacked him upside the head.

"You know, you really don't have to take a new pack." Silver said. "Especially if you don't want to be lone wolf-trolls."

"We don't." Aspen said, pouting a little. "It's no fun. And lonely."

"Well, maybe we can do something about that." Silver said. "How would you like to stay with me? We can be a pack together."

"Really?" Mandy asked happily. "That would be great!"

"What?!" Rudy and Aspen complained.

"Are you kidding me?" Rudy snapped.

"Yeah, we're not living with him!" Aspen agreed.

Mandy frowned. "Ears." She grabbed her brothers by the ears before they could escape. "I think we've done enough fighting, don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Aspen and Rudy moaned.

Mandy shoved her brothers to the ground. She smiled at Silver. "We would be happy to be your pack, Shadow Claw. Thanks."

Silver nodded in response. He looked to Branch. "I think, firstly, we should get you and your family back home."

* * *

Like most alpha wolf-trolls, Peppy wasn't exactly keen on having a couple lone wolf-trolls near his pack. He was especially wary of other alpha wolf-trolls like Silver, who could be a potential competitor for food and territory. Luckily, Rosiepuff was also there to vouch for Silver's kindness and assure Peppy that the older wolf-troll was a friend. The pack welcomed Branch home warmly, happy to see the pup managed to survive all this time. Guy Diamond, Biggie, Smidge, and Fuzzbert tackled him in a loving hug.

Very soon, it seemed like things were back to normal for the pack. Branch even gave his mother a demonstration of his hair abilities, and he explained how he changed color.

"How interesting." Rosiepuff said thoughtfully. "I've never heard of such abilities from wolf-trolls."

"And I'm going to keep practicing them." Branch declared. "Because you were right: I belong with this pack, this family. So I'm going to do everything I can to protect it."

Rosiepuff pulled Branch into a tight hug. "Branch, I am so proud of you."

Branch looked up at the sound of laughter, and he saw Silver playfully chasing the pups. He didn't make it very far before the pups turned around and dogpiled on him. Branch smiled broadly and bounded over to his friend.

"Silver!" Branch called, giving the old wolf-troll enough of a heads up before he jumped on him.

"Hey Branch!" Silver nuzzled the blue pup lovingly. "Just in time. I have to say 'goodbye.'"

"Already?" Branch frowned a little.

"Well, you know." Silver nodded towards Mandy, Rudy, and Aspen, who stood a short distance away. They looked ready to go, and even Rudy and Aspen seemed a little happier with their pack situation. "They need me." Silver shrugged.

Branch hugged Silver one last time. "I'll be up to visit you soon."

"You better." Silver chuckled. "Oh! And I have one more thing for you." He gestured for Mandy and her brothers to come over, and the siblings approached Branch and Silver. At Silver's nod, Mandy held out something for Branch. The pup took it and held it up to see a vest made of soft felt, leafy in design.

"Wow." Branch pulled on the vest. It was so big it swished across the ground.

"You'll grow into it." Silver assured. "My mother made that for me. I thought it might fit you better."

"But your mom made it." Branch protested. "Don't you want to keep it?"

"Why? I'm never going to transform into a troll and be able to wear it." Silver shrugged. "My mother would be happy to know it was being worn." He crouched down to be more at Branch's eye-level. "And keep your chin up, Pup. You keep learning the ways of the wolf-trolls, you'll be just fine. Maybe you'll even learn to transform someday."

"Maybe." Branch shrugged. "Thanks, Silver. Thanks for everything."

"And thank _you_ , Branch." Silver said. "You reminded me how it feels to be part of a pack. I forgot how much I missed that."

Branch smiled broadly, and he looked to Mandy, Aspen, and Rudy. "With Silver as your dad and alpha, you guys will be just fine."

"Thanks, Branch." Mandy said. "You're a good pup."

"You definitely need to come visit us." Aspen said. "We need to hang out."

"And I'll teach you how to fight." Rudy offered.

"You're on!" Branch said. Rudy laughed, tousling Branch's hair.

"See you around, Pup." Silver said. He and his new family trotted off into the forest, back to their home.

Suki and Cooper came to stand beside Branch. "It's great to have you back, Branch." Suki said.

"Will you show us how you do that hair whip thing?" Cooper requested, bouncing a little. He went up to stand on a rock. "Come on! Take your best shot!"

"You sure?" Branch asked worriedly. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Nah, I can take it!" Cooper assured. "Come on! Bet you can't hit me on your first—" He yelped when azure blue locks wrapped around his legs and yanked him off his feet. He tumbled off the rock and ended up with a mouthful of grass. "….try….."

Branch retracted his hair while Suki fell over from laughing so hard. "I warned you." Branch shrugged.


	13. Branch vs Zina

**Chapter Thirteen – Branch vs. Zina**

Time passed in the land of Darknem. The seasons passed, and the creatures grew. Peppy watched his pack puppies grow up, and a few of the previously juvenile pups started having pups of their own. The fact that Peppy started needing a cane to walk didn't hinder his ability to fight and lead. Peppy's wild hair became streaked with grey. That same grey showed up in his fur when he changed to his wolf form. Suki blossomed into a beautiful adult wolf-troll, and became known as the best hunters in the pack. Cooper earned his place amongst his pack-mates and grew up to be one of the best fighters. His rather large llama ears allowed him to pick up on dangers better than most of the other wolf-trolls.

Branch grew up too. He grew to be quite handsome, and some of the other female wolf-trolls his age began to see it. He still wore the same brown shorts, only with a couple more patches on them. The leafy vest Silver gave him fit quite nicely now. His looks weren't the only thing that attracted the females. As he grew, Branch learned all the skills of the wolf-trolls and even picked up a few tricks from the other animals in the forest. He even fashioned a knife and spear from the old bones of a long-deceased animal. Plus, he still had his hair abilities for camouflage and fighting. His hair-stretching skills made him stand out in the pack, but his pack-mates were rather amazed by his "superpower." While he still hadn't learned how to transform into a wolf, he had all the makings of a great warrior. Branch was known as a fighter, a protector for the pack, and everyone knew and appreciated it.

Now if only Peppy could learn to like him.

By now, Peppy had recognized that Branch earned a place in his pack. Peppy's pack members admired Branch for his talents and the protection he offered. But Peppy still didn't like Branch at all, and refused to acknowledge Branch as his son. Branch didn't mind that much. Well, actually, he hated it. Branch just wanted to earn at least a little respect from Peppy. He could survive without calling Peppy his father. Branch saw Silver as a father figure, or at least a grandfather. All Branch wanted was for Peppy to show him a little respect. It was something he would have to earn through things like hunting or fighting.

Branch stretched his hair out and swung across the treetops. Sometimes he would use the vines to swing like a monkey. He finally arrived at his destination, and he dove into the thick foliage. He peered through the leaves and locked his eyes onto his target. He would have to stay perfectly silent for this to work. Branch put his weight evenly on his hands and feet, and he crept towards his target. Closer…closer…Branch inhaled silently….

"Don't even think about it." Rosiepuff said without turning around.

Instead of roaring like he planned, Branch let out a groan. He hopped over his mother, did a flip and landed sitting down, facing her. "How'd you know it was me?" Branch asked, taking the berry Rosiepuff offered him.

"I'm your mother. I know everything." Rosiepuff said matter-of-factly. "Now where have you been?"

Branch chuckled. "I thought you knew everything." Before Rosiepuff could respond, a red and orange mass tackled Branch and sent him tumbling. He wrestled with the mass for a moment, and then his opponent kicked him aside to reveal Suki.

"Why hello Grandma Rosiepuff!" Suki greeted. "You look quite lovely today!"

"Hello Suki." Rosiepuff said, going back to her lunch while Branch tackled Suki. The red-skinned wolf-troll changed to her wolf form for the fight. The two of them began tumbling and wrestling across the forest floor. Peppy had to stop before the two young adults could run into him. He growled and rolled his eyes at them. The other pack members simply moved out of their way as Branch and Suki fought playfully. Their play fight resulted in Branch landing on top of Cooper.

"Hey!" Cooper yelped. His face ended up in the dirt, and he spit out grass. "All right! I want a piece of this action!" He jumped into the play fight, making it a three-way battle amongst the friends. Their wrestling only caused their limbs to get all tangled up, and the three of them collapsed in a heap of laughter.

"I win!" Branch claimed.

"Oh yeah?" Suki panted a little. She changed to her half-wolf form. "I want a rematch!"

"I bet I could beat you both with my legs tied together!" Cooper challenged.

Branch laughed again, shaking his head. Suddenly, he froze and stared at the bushes. He slowly sat up and moved to his hands and feet again. Cooper and Suki followed his gaze. Cooper's ears twitched crazily. Suki sniffed the air.

"What is it?" Suki murmured. "I don't smell anything."

Branch took a moment to let the breeze blow through his sapphire blue mane. The wind blew against their backs, so it was their scents going towards whatever was in the bushes. Cooper heard something, but he began to relax. They saw nothing. Branch could've sworn he saw something hiding amidst all that foliage.

"Come on." Cooper encouraged. "Let's get back to the pack." He and Suki turned and started back the way they came. Branch stayed in his spot and glared suspiciously at the bushes. The forest was a dangerous place, full of creatures great and small. While the wolf-trolls were arguably one of the fiercest creatures of the forest, there were some who would dare to challenge them. Every bit of his instincts told him to be alert.

"Branch, come on!" Suki called. "I still want that rematch!"

Slowly, Branch turned his back to the bushes to follow Suki and Cooper.

They barely had time to jump out of the way before Zina and another felidala roared and lunged for them. At the sound of the roars, the wolf-troll pack scattered. As if Zina wasn't bad enough on her own, now she had a juvenile kitten. Rumor has it Zina and her cub murdered Zina's mate after she gave birth, and now it was double the cat trouble. Cooper and Branch joined some of the other wolf-form fighters to hold off Zina and her cub. Unfortunately, Zina was able to knock aside the first two wolf-trolls who lunged for her. Zina's cub grappled with one of the wolf-trolls. Another wolf-troll jumped on Zina's back, and she yanked her off. Branch tackled Zina before the felidala could bite his pack-mate. But during their tumble, Zina ended up on top of Branch. He pushed against her neck to keep her from sinking her teeth into his throat like she wanted. Cooper came to his rescue and kicked Zina away. Even though he was mostly a peaceful and fun-loving llama, Cooper was aggressively protective of his family. Zina snarled and hissed at Cooper, and she lunged for him.

That's when Peppy arrived in his wolf form, grabbing Zina's scruff in his teeth and throwing her aside. Peppy always made sure his pack was safe before joining his fighter wolves to defeat whatever attacked the pack. Peppy snarled at Zina, and the felidala hissed at him. Zina's cub stood ready for her mother's order. The other fighter wolves stood behind Peppy, prepared to fight. Zina hissed at the wolf-trolls while the rest of the pack watched from their hiding spots.

Peppy lunged in first. He tackled Zina and the two of them became a flurry of fur, claws, and teeth. When Zina threw Peppy off, Branch and one of the fighters jumped into the fight. Zina swiped her claws across the fighter wolf-troll's snout and kicked her back legs into Branch's stomach. Cooper and the other two wolf-troll fighters leaped forward to fight, but Zina's cub jumped onto one of the wolf-troll's back and bit his neck. The second fighter shoved Zina's cub off, and Cooper came in to kick the felidala. Zina's cub twisted around and grabbed Cooper by his dreadlocks, throwing him into the two wolf-trolls who had helped him. Zina's cub continued to snarl and swipe her claws at the wolf-trolls while her mother battled with Peppy.

Branch analyzed the fight. Zina's cub was still only a juvenile. Peppy could take her on and beat her easily. But only if he lived from his fight with Zina. They would need a different fighting style to beat someone like Zina; and he had just the weapon that could help with that.

Cooper didn't know why Branch slipped away from the fight, but he trusted his brother knew what he was doing. So he kept his eyes on the fight. What had started as a multiple wolf-trolls vs. felidala fight now became solely Peppy vs. Zina. The alpha wolf-troll could hold his own pretty well, and none of the other fighters could see a clear entrance into the battle. If they weren't careful, they would hurt Peppy instead of Zina. Besides, most of the fighters were already becoming too hurt or too tired to keep fighting. They had to consider the protection of the pack and the chance that they would need to run. Zina's cub wisely stayed back and let her mother work.

Peppy bit into Zina's neck, and the felidala snarled in pain. She reared up and slammed herself down with Peppy under her. The force of the blow forced Peppy to release her, and she took her chance to sink her claws and fangs into the alpha wolf-troll. Peppy tried to pull her off, to no avail. Then, Zina caught an opening in Peppy's defense, and she bit down _hard_ onto his throat and shoulder. Peppy let out a cross between a snarl and a shout of pain, and he shifted to his half-wolf form to better throw Zina off him. Once he could, he collapsed to the forest floor. Blood trickled from the last wound Zina gave him. Speaking of which, the felidala began to circle around and returned to the alpha. She eyed him with a murderous glare. Cooper and the other fighters hurried to Peppy's side, even when they knew they may not be strong enough to save him.

Zina roared and lunged for the alpha wolf-troll.

Branch shouted in effort as he swung down from the tree where he stored his sword made from the bone of a large animal. He managed to plant his feet into Zina's stomach and kicked her aside. Branch landed on his feet, holding his sword ready. Zina rolled to her feet and snarled at this newcomer. Cooper and the fighter wolf-trolls started forward, but Branch held up a hand to stop them. The fighters understood at once, and they backed off. Zina snarled at her daughter, and the cub stepped away. This was no longer a fight for survival or food or territory. It was a direct, personal challenge to prove the strongest fighter.

A fight to the death.

The other wolf-trolls of the pack barked and howled to encourage Branch. Rosiepuff stared in horror, praying her son would make it out. If she tried to intervene, Zina would disregard the traditions of the fight and kill both of them. Peppy stared at Branch. _What is he thinking? He's not strong enough for this. He'll be killed._

Zina lunged first, and Branch ducked down to avoid her. When she tried to lunge again, Branch stretched his hair to grab the tree limb. He hauled himself upwards just before Zina's claws could catch him. Zina was quick to dart after him, scaling the tree with her sharp, non-retractable claws. Branch retracted his hair, and his momentum sent him to the tree limb. He held his sword ready as Zina lunged for him. She swiped her claws, and Branch managed to knock them aside with his blade. He stepped back when Zina continued to come forward and swipe her claws. Branch launched his hair again to pull him into the higher tree limbs, which were closer together in an almost tangled way. Zina did a 180 to follow Branch into the treetop. In a few minutes, Branch managed to lose Zina amongst the many tree limbs. He hid in a knot hole and waited for Zina to pass. Then he jumped out to attack.

Nothing. The felidala had disappeared. Branch held his sword ready. The air became much too quiet for his liking.

A roar, and Zina shot up from the lower tree branches. Branch managed to put his sword between himself and the felidala. The force of her attack sent them both tumbling off the tree branch and plummeting to the ground. Branch stretched out his hair and grabbed a tree limb, swinging himself and Zina through the air. He kicked the cat away and slashed his sword. Zina twisted and landed on her feet, as cats do. The wolf-trolls barked some more when they saw Branch's attack left a mark: a cut across Zina's chest. Zina glanced to the blood oozing from the wound, and she hissed at her opponent. Branch jumped and landed on both feet and one hand, the other hand holding his sword ready. His ears went back, and he growled at Zina.

Branch rose to his feet. He and Zina circled each other. The tension was thick between the two. So thick that they hardly noticed some of the wolf-trolls still calling in encouragement. Branch didn't dare take his eyes off Zina. Felidala, like all felines, could twist and move almost like a snake. If he even blinked, she would be upon him before he could react. Branch kept his weight evenly distributed on the balls of his feet so he could move faster.

Suddenly, Zina ran in a zig-zag pattern and shot towards Branch. Branch held up his sword, and Zina bit that instead of him. But instead of falling back, she latched all her claws into his skin and pulled. He shouted in pain and shoved the cat off him. Rosiepuff could barely hold herself back from running in to help. Branch felt pain and the blood trickling down his arms, shoulders, and legs; but he wasn't done yet. He held his sword ready…

…..only to find the weapon broken in half.

 _Oh shoot._

Only then did Branch realize Zina chomped right through his weapon during that last attack. She found the other half of the sword first and kicked it away into the bushes. Branch jumped back when Zina lunged. He used his broken sword like a staff and whacked Zina in the head. The spear blade must've broken off in that last strike. Now Branch was really in trouble. He couldn't beat Zina with a staff. Some time ago, he learned how to wrap his hair around his opponent's neck to strangle them. But if he tried to do that here, Zina might twist around and get tangled in his hair, which would cause both of them to get hurt and might result in his death. He had to find a different way to beat Zina and fast.

Zina chased Branch through the tall grass. She snarled and swiped her claws in an attempt to catch and kill Branch at last. She suddenly skidded to a halt when she came to a clear spot of grass and couldn't find Branch anywhere. She growled as she sniffed the air for her lost opponent. Branch couldn't just back out of this fight. He had to come out sooner or later.

What Zina never noticed was Branch managed to duck into a patch of wildflowers and extend his hair to camouflage himself. As long as he stayed amongst the petals, which matched his hair color almost exactly, he would be safe to think of a plan. He didn't have long. A one-on-one challenge like this couldn't be forfeited, or else he would sacrifice his life. Or worse: Zina might threaten the pack to draw him out. Branch carefully parted his hair and peered out.

There! The pointed half of his sword! It sat in the clearing back where this fight originally started. Branch looked back towards where Zina hunted for him. He stood downwind of her, so she wouldn't fight him by smell. If he made a break for it, he just might make it.

Three.

Two.

Branch inhaled silently. _Please let this work._

 _One!_

Branch retracted his hair to its normal length and sprinted back towards the clearing. Zina heard the rustling grass, and she turned around and sprinted after Branch. The sound of the felidala coming after him made Branch run faster. The last thing he wanted to feel were those sharp claws again. His heart pounded as hard as his feet did on the ground. The other wolf-trolls watched, holding their breaths and praying for a favorable outcome. Zina's cub could practically taste the wolf-troll flesh she and her mother would feast on. Rosiepuff was in her half-wolf form now, ready to tear Zina in half if she won this fight.

Branch jumped forward and grabbed the bone blade, somersaulting to another crouching position. He barely managed to get his weight on his feet before Zina tackled him. The two of them tumbled and rolled and landed in a hole amongst the roots of a tree.

The wolf-troll pack stared at the hole where Branch and Zina disappeared. They heard something sharp shredding at flesh, but nobody had any idea if it was Branch spearing Zina's body or Zina's claws and teeth tearing at Branch's skin. It suddenly became very quiet. Nobody spoke or moved. Rosiepuff felt like a hundred years passed before they saw movement.

Zina's body shot from the hole, and the wolf-trolls collectively gasped. Peppy and his warriors prepared for another round of fighting.

Then, Zina's dead body fell to the ground. After a minute, Branch hauled himself out of the hole and collapsed from exhaustion. He panted heavily from the adrenaline rush. He shakily stood up and glanced to Zina's body. She was dead. He won.

He actually won.

A smile creeped up onto Branch's face, and he whooped and cheered. He did it! He really did it! He defeated Zina and saved the pack. Branch noticed Zina's cub, who stared in shock. After all, her mother was supposed to be the strongest animal in the forest. How could she be defeated by a mere wolf-troll? Branch snarled at her threateningly. Zina's cub knew better than to fight him now, when he still had the whole pack behind him. The juvenile felidala scampered away in fear.

At the sound of excited barking and howling, Branch raised his head to see the pack cheering for him. Branch cupped his hands around his mouth and howled. The other wolf-trolls joined in the chorus to celebrate Branch's victory. Suki and Cooper practically body-slammed Branch in their hug, thankful he not only survived but won the fight. The rest of the pack quickly came forward to congratulate their blue pack-mate. The pups of the pack dogpiled onto Branch. Rosiepuff looked less concerned, and she beamed with pride.

"Okay, _that_ was pretty cool." Suki admitted. "But don't do it again."

Branch chuckled as the pups got off him. "I'll try." The pack continued to talk about the amazing fight. But Branch didn't hear them. His eyes traveled beyond the heads of the wolf-trolls and to Peppy, who stood in front of some bushes. Peppy stared at Branch with that same glare he always wore. The old alpha scooped up his walking cane and limped into the bushes. Branch glanced down to Zina.

Peppy emerged on the other side of the foliage and scanned the area around him. It didn't take long to find the medicinal flower leaves that would take care of the bite wound on his neck and shoulder. He knew the pack would leave him be, and that's what he wanted. He didn't know what to make of Branch's victory. Quite frankly, Peppy didn't really like it. _He_ was the alpha, and _he_ was responsible for protecting the pack. And now Branch has it in his head that he can do anything. That was dangerous for a wolf-troll, and liable to get Branch killed in the next fight.

The bushes behind Peppy rustled, and he turned to see none other than Branch coming through the leaves. He carried Zina's dead body on his shoulders. Slowly, Branch set Zina at Peppy's feet, took a few steps back, and crouched to sit back on his haunches. Branch lowered his head. A submissive pose, out of respect for his alpha. Branch only wanted to show Peppy what he did, and how he did it for the sake of the pack and nothing more or less. He stared at the ground for a moment. He heard the rest of the pack catching up to see Peppy's reaction to the offering. After a moment, Branch tentatively looked up to Peppy.

The alpha stared at Zina's body. He couldn't deny that Branch did something amazing. This was Zina. She was one of the greatest enemies of the forest. A creature who never obeyed anyone's laws. Branch actually managed to fight and kill her. Not only that, Branch saved Peppy's life by intervening when he did. That was something Peppy just couldn't ignore.

Peppy shifted his gaze to Branch. His softening stare and miniscule nod told Branch he earned the alpha's respect, even reluctantly. Branch lowered his head again, even when he began to smile. He still didn't raise his head, to show respect to his alpha. But he did perk up when Peppy stepped up closer to him. Peppy held out some of the medicinal leaves, and Branch took them from him. Peppy had already applied the leaves to his own wounds. Branch snapped the leaves open to release the sap-like goop from inside, and he smeared the goop over the cuts on his chest. The numbing instantly took over, and in a few days the cuts would disappear completely. Branch looked up to Peppy and smiled softly. Peppy didn't smile back, but he definitely wasn't glaring anymore.

 _BOOM!_


	14. Strangers in the Forest

**Chapter Fourteen – Strangers in the Forest**

 _BOOM!_

Branch, Peppy, and the rest of the pack spun around at the thunder-like sound. It echoed over the land. A flock of birds flew overhead, crying out about something.

"What was that?" Branch murmured.

Cooper tilted his head and listened closely. Thanks to his rather large ears, he had much better hearing compared to the wolf-trolls. "Not sure. But the birds are going crazy."

"Move out." Peppy ordered. He was back to glaring again. Then again, nobody would argue even if he smiled jovially while he gave the order. Peppy led the pack away from the source of the sound. Branch followed dutifully, but paused when the booming sound echoed again. The wolf-troll pack scurried after their alpha.

"Branch?" Rosiepuff piped up. "You all right?"

"Yes. I'm coming." Branch bounded after his mother. He was distracted the entire time the pack moved. The booming sound would echo out over the land now and then. Several of the wolf-trolls still jumped when they heard it. A couple of them growled at the sky. Branch glanced back every time he heard the boom.

The pack moved for another hour before Peppy stopped them at a creek. "We'll rest here." Peppy said. "Rest, drink, and eat. We may move again at dusk." The wolf-trolls went about their business, some of them still rattled from the booming sounds. They could hear the faint echoes from their new position.

Rosiepuff fretfully looked over her son. "Are you sure you're not hurt? Do you need more medicine?"

"I'm fine, Mom." Branch assured. "Really, I'm okay."

"I just have to make sure." Rosiepuff hugged Branch tightly. She smiled at him. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom." Branch said. He heard someone clear their throat, and Branch turned around and blinked in surprise to see Peppy.

"I have a job you can do, if you're not too injured to do it." Peppy said.

"I'm up for it!" Branch said eagerly.

"Go patrol the area." Peppy said. "Make sure we're safe, for now."

"Yes sir!" Branch saluted. Peppy stared at the blue troll, and then turned and walked away. Branch beamed at Rosiepuff. "I think he's starting to grow on me!"

Rosiepuff rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Just _attempt_ to stay out of trouble."

"No problem!" Branch said. He went on all fours and trotted off into the trees.

"Now why do I doubt that?" Rosiepuff wondered.

Climbing up a tree, Branch looked around. He didn't see much that was a danger to the pack. He was one step closer to earning Peppy's approval. This was great.

 _boom_

Branch glanced in the direction of the sound's echo. He had never heard such a sound in all his life, and he knew every sound in the forest from the twittering of the birds to the roar of a landslide. So what could be making that strange sound? Branch glanced back to the pack. They were settling down and relaxing after the startle of Zina's attack. He knew that it would be stupid to go after the strange sound, but Branch couldn't ignore that something new came to the forest. He was a protector of this pack, after all. How could he ignore a potential threat to the wolf-trolls?

 _I'll be really quick._ Branch told himself. _But I have to know what that thing is._

* * *

Loping for about forty minutes got Branch back to the battlefield from his fight with Zina. That same pace for half an hour brought him closer to the sound. When the sound seemed a short distance away, Branch paused and looked around for something that could help. He walked around on all fours, scanning the dirt and ducking under the brush. After hopping over a tree root, Branch found what he wanted: tracks. Branch crouched down so low that his stomach brushed against the grass. He sniffed the ground and caught a few strange, unfamiliar scents. The paw prints in the ground he didn't recognize either. But they looked very similar to his own paw prints. Branch found something sticking out of the bush trunk, and he yanked it out. The thin stick he pulled out was smooth, with feathers on one end and an arrowhead on the other. Branch discarded the sharp stick and continued to follow the trail. He paused at a patch of tall mushrooms. He noticed a patch of black on the stalk of the mushroom, and he ran his fingers over the patch. Just as he suspected: it was some sort of black dust. Branch sniffed the black dust on his fingers. It smelled like it had been burning some time ago. Branch licked the black dust off his fingers, and he grimaced in disgust and spit it out again.

 _BOOM!_

Branch's ears twitched at the sound, and he hurried off towards the source. He continued to follow the booms, staying hidden as best he could in case the newcomers were dangerous. Branch decided to travel by treetops, leaping from one limb to another and swinging across vines. Soon, he could hear voices. At least, they sounded like voices. Branch couldn't really understand what they were saying. This was a new language for him to learn. Branch stood on the edge of one of the tree limbs. He stared down and analyzed the land.

There! A group of colorful hair tufts. The voices came from those tufts. But through the shrubbery, Branch didn't have any idea what the tufts were. Branch sped across the treetops, faster than the tufts, hoping he could cut them off and get a good look at the strange-speaking creatures.

Unfortunately, Branch ended up running right off a tree limb and out into the open. He managed to tuck-and-roll to break his fall, and he found himself in a small meadow surrounded by the trees. A normal meadow, if it weren't for the strange setup dead center of the area. Branch tentatively walked to the setup, exploring the site. Was this some sort of nesting ground? The large sections of fabric propped up with sticks looked like some forms of shelter. There were little round things that were ultra-smooth and cool to the touch. A short wooden tree nearby made a ticking sound. One of the shelters was full of colorful fabrics. There were so many strange objects that Branch couldn't name or even describe. He sniffed a bottle of sparkly stuff that looked a lot like the sparkles on Guy Diamond's skin. Nothing looked familiar to him.

"What are you?" Branch murmured. He paused at a strange contraption that stood out from the others. It appeared to be a wooden rectangle with a round circle thing on top. What looked like a trumpet flower stuck to the object. Branch found a couple round buttons on the side of the box, and he pressed one. He jumped back when a stick-like object lowered a needle onto the round part of the box. The circle turned out to be a disc, which began to spin. Music came from the flower. Branch bobbed his head to the music. This was different from the music made by the wolf-trolls.

One of those sharp sticks with the feathers whizzed past Branch's ear. He hurried away and ducked into one of the shelters. He stared at the grass on the edge of the meadow, where a few shadows lurked. A creature finally emerged from the grass, aiming some sort of weapon in a couple different directions.

Branch stared in shock. This creature…looked like him! The creature was a troll, with lavender skin, indigo eyes, and light blue hair that faded to teal-green. He wore a pair of yellow pants with something long and brown buckled around his hips. He looked like the wolf-trolls of Branch's pack when they were in troll form. Except this troll had the longer hair and smaller figure that was very unlike wolf-trolls. This troll had the same smaller build and longer hair that Branch had too.

"Mr. Creek!"

The troll wasn't alone. Two more trolls that looked like Branch emerged from the grass. Branch realized the rounded tuft of hair he saw in the grass was actually a pair of twin trolls with conjoined hair. These appeared to be females based on the high-pitched tone of their voices. One had pink skin and blue eyes, wearing a one-piece outfit with sleeves on her legs. The other had blue skin and pink eyes, wearing a dress. Their hair was bright blue and faded to pink-purple. They seemed to have drawings on their arms and legs and shiny stones in their ears. They, too, did not have the same size nor length of hair as Suki or the other female wolf-trolls.

"Mr. Creek!" the pink troll whisper-shouted. "What is it?"

"Are we in danger?" the blue troll asked in a similar tone and volume.

"I saw something in the camp." Creek murmured. He readjusted his sword at his hip, and he reached back to quickly count the arrows in the quiver on his back. His finger hovered over the trigger of his crossbow. He stepped towards the campsite, and Branch crouched down in his hiding spot.

"Was it a wingdingle?" the pink one asked, still hiding with her sister.

"Oh no, Satin, it must be a tarantapuff." The blue one insisted.

"Or maybe a saru swinger, Chenille!" Satin said excitedly.

"No, it was nothing!" the final troll of the party emerged from the grass. She had pink skin and darker pink hair with lighter pink eyes. She wore a blue and green dress with a green headband adorned with blue flowers. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail.

Branch's eyes widened. _Wow….she's really pretty…_

"You know what the hullabaloo all about?" the pink troll scoffed, encouraging the twins from the grass. "Mr. Creek is jumpy and trigger-happy."

"I am simply trying to keep you safe, Miss Poppy. Just like you hired me to do." Creek said as the trolls ventured closer to their campsite. Branch didn't make a sound, even when the troll creatures came very close to his hiding spot.

"He's just doing his job, little sister." The blue twin said.

"Yes, Chenille, but it's not conducive for our research." Poppy said. "Don't you agree, Satin?"

The pink twin shrugged. "I'd rather be safe, myself."

"See?" Creek said. He tossed his crossbow onto a table and began rummaging in a basket for food.

Poppy sighed, pinching the space between her eyes. "Creek, my sisters and I came on this expedition to study wolf-trolls, and your shooting—" She jumped when Creek pulled a bright orange pod from his hair and threw it towards the trees on the edge of the meadow. The pod hit a tree, scaring away some birds. A burst of light and fire came from the flash pod, and it left an ashy mark on the tree.

 _That explains the black marks I see._ Branch mused.

"Yes, that too." Poppy sighed. "I think your shooting and those flash pods are scaring the wolf-trolls away."

"If you recall, we haven't seen hide nor hair of those beasts in days." Creek pointed out, munching on an apple he found. "I say we go with my plan."

"Our goal is not to capture the wolf-trolls. It's to study them." Poppy said firmly.

Creek rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever."

"Look on the bright side, Mr. Creek." Satin said. "This has been a wonderful adventure! Full of wonderful things to see."

"And plenty of inspiration." Chenille said, drawing in her sketchbook. She paused, then spun around. But she didn't see anything, even though Chenille swore she felt someone watching her. She never knew the "someone" was Branch, whose hiding spot was right behind Chenille. He poked his head out only briefly to get a sniff of the blue twin. Yes, the creature who looked like him even had a similar _smell_ like his! How curious.

"If you ladies would like to join me, I think we should get some more water from the pool just north of us." Creek suggested.

"I would love to get another look at those flowers." Chenille said.

"Yes, I want some to press in my scrapbook." Satin agreed. "Are you coming, Poppy?"

"No. I think I'll stay here and do some sketching." Poppy said. She got comfortable on a stool and took out her sketchbook. Her sisters and Creek walked off with their supplies. Branch stayed in his hiding spot, analyzing every detail on the pink troll. From her rosy cheeks to the sparkles in her eyes, she radiated with beauty. Branch never felt this way before. His heart pounded. His palms got sweaty. He felt like he could fly away.

Something told Poppy she was being watched. Everything around her was far too quiet. She slowly raised her eyes and looked around. She had seen several kinds of interesting creatures while here in the forest. But she most wanted to see a wolf-troll. She just wondered if a wolf-troll watched her now. The animal could be camouflaged and she wouldn't even know it.

A squeak made Poppy jump. She looked down and saw a tiny monkey-like creature. Based on the monkey's large ears, thin tail, and polka-dotted coat of fur, Poppy could guess that this was a saru swinger. And a baby one at that; the little monkey's head barely hit her knee when Poppy stood up.

"Well aren't you a cutie?" Poppy cooed. She turned to a fresh page in her notebook and began drawing the little monkey in front of her. Once she got a good outline, Poppy pulled coloring materials from her hair.

Branch tilted his head in confusion. _What's she doing? And how did she get all that stuff into her hair? Doesn't it get tangled?_

Poppy smiled with pride. "Great! I think it looks pretty good!"

The saru swinger crawled up to sit on Poppy's shoulder, inspecting her hair as she tucked her book and materials away. She yelped when the saru swinger suddenly yanked off her headband and ran off with it.

"No!" Poppy cried. "My mom gave me that!" She hopped off her stool and ran after the monkey creature. She doubled back to grab Creek's crossbow just in case she needed protection. Branch trailed behind the pink troll.

Thankfully, Poppy caught up with the saru swinger and snatched the headband back. "That's mine you mischievous little pest!"

The saru swinger pouted, grumbling and growling.

Poppy sighed. "Look, this thing means a lot to me. But if you really want one of your own….." She set the crossbow down and gathered some wildflowers nearby. She sat on the ground and began weaving them. Curious, the saru swinger baby watched Poppy work. In no time at all, Poppy made a flower crown for the baby monkey, and she placed it on the baby's head. The saru swinger chattered and hooted happily, hugging Poppy in thanks. Poppy giggled, hugging the creature back. "Now where is your mom, little one?"

The saru swinger still cuddled close, as though naming Poppy its new mother.

Poppy looked around. "Well, maybe if we look together, we'll find your troop."

The saru swinger suddenly perked up, looking around them. The baby whimpered and hugged Poppy tighter. Poppy slowly stood, lifting up the crossbow. Once more, it was far too quiet. Based on what she read, silence like this often meant animals stayed quiet to avoid being detected by predators.

A twig snapped behind her. Poppy shot three arrows wildly, unsure how to really aim the crossbow. She couldn't see Branch through the thick foliage. Branch could see the arrows coming, though. He jumped aside, only for the arrows to ricochet off the tree trunks and head for him. Branch pressed himself against the bark of the tree, narrowly dodging each arrow. One arrow went through his hair and hit the tree trunk. The second arrow nicked his ear. The third arrow landed between his legs, dangerously close to his groin area.

Poppy panted heavily. The saru swinger made a whimpering sound. "It's okay." Poppy whispered. "It's okay. We're okay."

Something snarled behind Poppy and the saru swinger. Slowly, she turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw a felidala prowl out of the shrubbery. The saru swinger shrieked and ducked into Poppy's hair. Poppy tried to fire the crossbow, but she was out of arrows.

"Uh…nice kitty…" Poppy gulped.

The felidala roared.

Poppy screamed, dropped the crossbow, and took off running. The felidala was right behind her, steadily gaining on the pink troll. Poppy even ran in a zigzag pattern to throw the cat off. Poppy didn't dare look back. She could tell by the snarling that the felidala still chased her. Soon she had a new problem: a river coming up. But if she stopped, the cat would get her. So Poppy ran up a rock and leaped off. She hoped she could get across enough to stretch out her hair and save herself.

She didn't need to. She found herself flying in the air while the felidala skidded to a halt. Poppy breathed a little heavily. "Well that worked better than I—" Poppy looked back to the felidala and noticed someone had grabbed her around the waist. Her eyes shot up to a blue troll with blue hair, swinging from a vine with one hand and holding her with the other.

The blue troll stared at Poppy and blinked.

Poppy screamed. She continued to scream as Branch swung her up into the air. Branch landed on a tree limb and Poppy landed in his arms.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Poppy ordered. Branch obeyed, rather befuddled by the pink troll's reaction to him saving her life. The two of them heard snarling, and they saw the felidala coming after them again. "Pick me up! Pick me up!" Poppy yelped, jumping into Branch's arms again.

Poppy screamed again when Branch jumped off the tree limb and darted away. Branch didn't think he'd see Zina's cub so soon after his fight with the cub's mother. It seemed Zina's cub was thirsty for blood. Seeing him only fueled her rage and desire for revenge. If Branch was going to get himself and the pink thing out of this alive, he would have to be smart. He held Poppy bridal style at first as he sprinted deeper into the forest. Poppy couldn't really get a good grip on Branch with him bouncing her around so much. Branch jumped up and stretched up his hair to haul himself and Poppy into the air. Branch landed on the tree limb, catching Poppy so she rode him piggyback style. Poppy held on tight with all four limbs as Branch leaped across the treetops. Zina's cub stayed right behind him.

Suddenly, Branch looked back and realized Zina's cub disappeared. When he looked ahead, Zina's cub came right towards Branch and Poppy on the path directly ahead of them. Branch leaped as high as he could. But before he could stretch his hair out again, Poppy beat him to the punch and lengthened out her pink locks to wrap around a higher tree branch. Poppy held tight to Branch as they swung through the air. She retracted her hair to let them fall, and they landed on a large rock.

Poppy sighed in relief. "That was close."

Branch nodded in agreement, his eyes alight with awe. _She can stretch her hair, like me!_

Suddenly, Zina's cub came from nowhere and tackled the two of them. The three of them tumbled and rolled down a small hill and straight to some bramble bushes. Branch stretched out his hair to pull them over the brambles. He managed to grab a vine from a tree and swung deeper into the forest. They were safe again, but Poppy had her arms around Branch's neck and unintentionally choked him.

"I really appreciate you saving me!" Poppy called over the wind. "That is what you're doing, right? Saving me?" Suddenly, Branch ducked to avoid a tree limb sticking in his path. He let go of his vine to grab another, but the pink thing was knocked off his shoulders and she ended up falling.

Branch face-palmed. _This little pink thing is going to be the death of me._

Poppy and the saru swinger still in her hair screamed as they fell. Before she could hit the ground, she made a staircase out of her hair to safely land. Then she took off running as Zina's cub gave a chase. Poppy didn't get very far before Branch came swinging in again, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her in close. They swung up again, and Branch carried Poppy right off a cliff. Poppy screamed in terror as she clung to Branch. Only Branch knew that they headed for a large section of tall trees that would serve as the perfect maze to lose their pursuer. With Poppy gripping him as tightly as she could, Branch dove right through the canopy of the trees and grabbed the tree limbs with his hands and hair. He swung around like a saru swinger; and when he came to a thick enough tree limb, Branch went down on all fours to gallop across the treetops.

Zina's cub appeared in Branch's path, and he skidded to a halt. He turned to run the other way, but the felidala jumped over his head to land in his path again. Branch had nowhere to run. Zina's cub would never give up. Branch set Poppy down and gestured for her to walk down the log and get away. Poppy slowly backed away, watching anxiously. Branch crouched down and snarled at Zina's cub.

"I beat your mother. I'll beat you, too!" Branch growled.

 _Crack_

Branch, Poppy, and even Zina's cub froze, and they simultaneously looked down. The log was breaking.

"Uh oh." the baby saru swinger gulped.

The log broke, sending all of them falling down, down, down to the forest floor below. Poppy screamed again, latching onto Branch with her arms and legs and even her hair. Branch wished she would at least loosen up her hair so he could grab a vine and save them. Then again, he could understand why the pink troll would be so scared. Branch decided to stretch out his hair again, and the blue locks wrapped around a sturdy tree limb. Branch stopped the stretching, and his hair tightened and tensed like a rubber band. The resulting whiplash pulled Branch and Poppy back up, and Branch landed on all fours on a tree limb. Branch pulled Poppy around to push her against the tree trunk. Branch braced himself, positioning his body over Poppy's protectively. Zina's cub couldn't grab anything with her claws, and she still had a hard landing even when she landed on her feet. The broken log crashed noisily down to the ground and just barely missed Zina's cub as she scurried away in terror.

Branch and Poppy stared down at the debris below. Poppy panted a little from her shock. She and Branch perked up when an adult saru swinger hopped down to land on the tree limb with them. The monkey began chittering and chattering to Branch, who chittered and chattered right back. Poppy stared at the interaction with a strange look. She gasped when Branch whipped around to her, but all he did was pluck the saru swinger baby from Poppy's hair and hand the child to its mother. The baby hugged his mother, cooing happily. The lead saru swinger nodded briskly and scampered off.

 _My, what a workout._ Branch chuckled to himself. He turned back to the pink troll, only to find she had disappeared.

With Branch distracted, Poppy managed to sneak around the tree and escape the strange blue troll. Poppy had to really press her back against the bark of the tree to keep herself from slipping off the mushroom on the tree.

"Okay. Okay, calm down, Poppy." Poppy told herself, despite still freaking out from her adrenaline rush. "Everything's fine. You're okay. You're just in a tree with a troll who talks to monkeys. Yeah. That's totally cool. That's fine. I'm cool." She looked around and saw another tree a short distance away, with a hole near the top where she could rest and think of a plan. Poppy stretched out her hair and retracted it quickly to shoot herself towards the hole. She just barely missed the hole, though, and now swung back and forth like a pendulum hanging from the tree limb. "Aw, come on, Poppy. You can do this." Poppy tried to swing herself forward, and after a few tries she managed to get into the hole. She brushed herself off after retracting her hair. "All right. Let's evaluate. I'm stuck in the middle of the forest with no idea where my sisters or Creek are and I have no food or water and I really don't know where I am. But that's okay! Look on the bright side, Poppy: it can't get any worse, can it?"

A crash of thunder and a sudden shower of rain answered Poppy, and that's when she realized the tree she was in didn't have a top. She was drenched in seconds.

"Okay, obviously it can." Poppy sighed, shutting her eyes. She groaned as she pushed her bangs from her face. When she opened her eyes again, Poppy saw a familiar figure in front of her: the blue troll who talked to the monkeys. Poppy screamed in surprise and backed up until she tripped over the entrance of the hole and fell out. She thought for sure she would hit the ground and be killed, but the blue troll appeared again and caught her.

Branch set Poppy on her feet and stared at her with his head tilted in curiosity.

"Look, thank you for your help." Poppy said. "But I'm kind of going through a crisis right now, so I really don't have time for crazy trolls who talk to monkeys. Goodbye now." She turned and marched off. But she stopped when the blue troll stepped in her path. "Look, if you want to come with me, then come on. But I have to find my camp and get dry." She tried to step around the blue troll, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in another direction. "Would you stop that?" Poppy huffed. "Just leave me alone. I have to get out of this rain." Poppy tried one more time, and the blue troll stood directly in front of her and growled. Like, actually _growled_ like an animal. "Get out of my way right now!" Poppy ordered.

Branch rolled his eyes. _What a stubborn little thing. Not a very good listener._ He decided to take things into his own hands, quite literally. He scooped up Poppy and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Hey!" Poppy squealed, pounding her fists onto the blue troll's back. "Put me down! I said put me down right now!"

Branch didn't really respond. He had to get them both to someplace safe and dry until the burst of rain passed, even if it meant dragging the pink thing with him.


	15. The Pink Thing

**Chapter Fifteen – The Pink Thing**

Branch found another tree hole, this one nice and dry. He pulled himself and the pink troll into the hole and he promptly dropped the pink troll onto the ground. Poppy crawled backwards until her back hit the wall of the tree. Branch crouched down on all fours and shook himself to get rid of the water. Then he came closer to Poppy to get a better look at her.

"Stay back!" Poppy snapped, mostly out of fear. She had no idea who this blue troll was, but he really freaked her out. "I mean it, mister! You stay away from me!"

Branch sniffed the pink troll's feet, going up to sniff up her body and even sticking his nose into her hair. She didn't smell life his wolf-troll pack-mates. She had too small of a body structure to be a wolf-troll, and he clearly witnessed her hair-stretching abilities. The facts seemed to add up. This little pink thing was very much like Branch himself. What kind of creature was this?

"Okay, you are _really_ starting to freak me out." Poppy said, pushing Branch's face away from hers. She didn't expect Branch to grab her face and look it over with that same intense gaze. He even poked at her nose and pulled open her mouth to stare at her teeth. Again, Branch saw that this pink thing resembled him very much. They did have some differences: the sharper canine teeth and more pointed ears were a couple of the main traits Branch had that this pink thing didn't.

 _What are you?_ Branch mused. He was starting to understand the pink thing's words, even when he paid the most attention to her body language and tone of voice.

"Are you done poking and prodding at me?" Poppy demanded.

Branch had to know for sure. He stepped back and grabbed one of Poppy's feet. He inspected the top and sole of the foot, and did the same for Poppy's other foot.

Poppy giggled uncontrollably. "Stop! That tickles!" She continued to giggle.

Branch paid no attention to Poppy's laughs. He couldn't see the mark of the wolf-troll on the pink thing's feet. Unless the mark was further up her leg. Branch took hold of the hem of the pink thing's dress, and he lifted it up a little.

"Hey get off!" Poppy kicked her leg up and nailed Branch in the face. He jumped back and shook his head. He glared in irritation at Poppy, who curled into a ball and hugged her knees to her chest. "Serves you right, you perverted little creep!" Poppy huffed.

Branch frowned, and he came closer to Poppy again. He just had to know for sure.

"Now you stay away from me like a very good wild troll." Poppy ordered. "You stay. Sit. Heel!"

Branch still came closer until he grabbed one of her hands. He inspected it, but no mark.

"Ooh, you little—" Poppy wasn't normally violent. This was her only exception, and she swung her free hand around to punch the blue troll. Branch caught her swinging arm by the wrist, and he stared at her closed fist. Carefully, and albeit hopefully, Branch pulled open Poppy's fist to stare at her palm.

No mark. She didn't have the mark of the wolf-troll, just like Branch. Branch stared at the pink troll's hand, and he took his own free hand and lined it up with hers. With their palms and fingers pressed together, Branch could see they were almost exactly the same size. There were no claws, no calloused skin, no sign of wolf-troll on this pink thing. Branch stared at Poppy with awe and inquisitiveness. Poppy stared back, unsure how to respond to this blue troll.

Branch scooted closer to Poppy, even when she shied away from him. He put an ear to her chest and heard the rapid thumping of her heart. He grinned broadly as he straightened, and he gently took Poppy's head in his hands.

"Oh dear. Okay!" Poppy yelped when Branch pulled her head to his chest. She grinned nervously and pulled her head out of the blue troll's grasp. "Yes, uh, a very nice heartbeat you have. Very strong." She cleared her throat and began brushing out her ponytail with her fingers. "It's very nice."

Branch tilted his head quizzically. He was beginning to understand this pink troll's words. He tried to mimic them. "Very nice."

"Thanks. It's so hard to deal with in the rain." Poppy brushed her wet bangs from her eyes. She did a double-take when she realized the blue troll spoke to her. Using her language. "You spoke! You can speak! Wow! I can't believe it! I never thought a wild troll would know how to speak like I do. Do you know any other words?"

Branch stared at her. It fascinated him that he could already start to understand the pink troll's language. Normally, it took him a few days to learn the language of another creature. For some reason, the pink troll's language sounded familiar. Hearing her speak touched on a memory deep in his psyche.

"Can you say your name?" Poppy asked. "My name is Poppy."

Branch blinked a few times. "Poppy."

"Yes! Exactly!" Poppy nodded. "What's your name?"

"Poppy." Branch said.

"No, your name."

"Poppy?"

"Your name."

"Very nice."

"Do you understand me at all?"

"Poppy."

Poppy facepalmed. She giggled when Branch mimicked her, confusing himself. "Okay, listen to me." Poppy put a hand on her chest. "Poppy." She pointed to Branch and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Branch was still confused. He could guess she wanted him to introduce himself. But he wasn't sure how to translate his wolf-troll name into this creature's language. He put his hands on Poppy's shoulders. "Poppy."

Poppy sighed in defeat. "Yep. That's right. I guess we'll figure out your name eventually." She had to admit the wild troll was all right. He was just curious, is all. Poppy glanced to the opening of the hole. "Looks like the rain stopped."

Branch scampered to the edge of the hole and poked his head out. He looked up to see clear skies. The rain had certainly stopped, which means they could leave the hole. He gestured for Poppy to follow him, and he jumped out of the hole and climbed down to the bottom. Poppy used her hair to lower herself to the ground.

"I know you like to jump from high places, but I prefer using the branch to help me." Poppy said.

Branch perked up. He finally realized how he could tell Poppy his name. He gestured up feverishly.

Poppy looked up. "What? The sky?"

Branch shook his head and pointed up again.

"The tree? The branches?" Poppy guessed.

Branch nodded in excitement.

"What about the branch?" Poppy asked.

Branch put a hand on Poppy's chest, startling her. "Poppy." He put his hands on his own chest. He carefully sounded out, "Branch." He touched her shoulders. "Poppy." He touched his chest once more. "Branch."

Poppy gasped in realization. "Branch!"

Branch nodded with excitement, yipping happily.

"Well, Branch, maybe you can help me." Poppy spoke slowly so the wild troll might understand her. "Can you take me to my camp? I don't know where I am."

Branch could sort of understand. He could guess that Poppy needed to return to those other trolls she traveled with. But they left some time ago. The rain washed away the tracks and most of the scent. He would need some help this time. He waved to Poppy in a "come on" gesture.

"Thanks!" Poppy chirped as she followed Branch. "You think we can chat more on the way?"

Branch paused, crouched down, and scratched behind his ear with his foot. Once he took care of the itch, he kept going.

"Guess not." Poppy shrugged.

* * *

When Peppy realized Branch's patrol took longer than usual, he could immediately assume that the blue pup's curiosity got the better of him or maybe he ran off for another adventure. He figured Branch would wander back sooner or later. Branch liked to explore, but his loyalty to the pack always ensured he would return. Still, Rosiepuff worried for her son, so she sent Suki, Cooper, Smidge, Guy Diamond, Biggie, and Fuzzbert out to find him.

"Just finished fighting the forest's greatest enemy, and he's already off on a new adventure." Guy Diamond sighed.

"You'd think he would take a break once in a while." Smidge said.

"You know how he is." Cooper said. "Always looking for something interesting."

"Why can't he just stick with us?" Biggie asked. "What's more interesting than us?"

A howl made everyone perk up. A flash of blue burst from the shrubbery, tackling Cooper. The rest of the wolf-trolls laughed and dogpiled onto Branch, hugging him and tousling his hair.

"Where have you been, you rascal?" Suki laughed, in her half-wolf form.

"I just got a little sidetracked." Branch looked to the ferns, and his friends followed his gaze. The wolf-trolls' jaws dropped when they saw Poppy. Suki went on all fours and inched closer to Poppy. The wolf-troll sniffed Poppy's hand, and she was surprised to find the pink troll didn't smell like a wolf-troll. In fact, she smelled similarly to Branch. The rest of the pack-mates creeped closer, staring in awe at this pink thing. Poppy's jaw dropped in her awe. She never imagined she would be this close to a wolf-troll.

"Hello." Poppy said softly.

Suki backed up to Branch. "Uh, bro?" Cooper piped up. "What is that?"

"That's a Poppy." Branch said. "Go say 'hello.' She won't bite."

Cooper approached Poppy next. The pink troll was surprised to see a llama with a bunch of wolf-trolls. Of course, she only knew them to be wolf-trolls because a couple of them changed from trolls to wolves and back again. Suki was still in her half-wolf form. Based on how Branch interacted with these wolf-trolls, it was clear he was one of them.

"She smells nice!" Cooper said.

Fuzzbert, in his wolf form, nuzzled Poppy lovingly. "I like her." Guy Diamond said, petting Poppy's soft hair as though she were a puppy.

Poppy giggled as the wolf-trolls petted and sniffed her, even nuzzling her. "Aren't you guys so cute?" she cooed, scratching Fuzzbert behind his wolf ear.

"Where did you find her, Branch?" Cooper asked.

"She and her friends are exploring the forest." Branch said.

"Friends?" Smidge repeated.

"There are more of these guys?" Suki asked. "Oh, Peppy's not going to like that."

Poppy couldn't understand what the wolf-trolls said to each other. But based on their body language, something made them apprehensive. "Is something wrong?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Branch assured. "We just need to get her back to her friends."

Fuzzbert took another sniff of Poppy, and then sniffed the ground. He barked at his pack-mates, and led the way into the forest. Poppy stayed by Branch's side. She wasn't sure where they were going, but she didn't have another option besides wandering the forest. At least staying with Branch and the wolf-trolls meant she had protection. Nothing in the forest looked familiar until they reached the clearing where the camp rested.

"Oh, thank you!" Poppy sighed in relief. "Thank you so much!"

"What is this stuff?" Cooper asked as the wolf-trolls investigated the camp.

"She lives here." Branch said. "Isn't it cool?"

"It's not like any nest or den I've ever seen!" Smidge said in awe.

"What's this?" Guy Diamond asked, looking over the cutlery on the table.

Poppy laughed at the curiosity of the wolf-trolls. "That there is called a tea set. Oh, that's a clock. That's how we tell time." She still spoke slowly, hoping they could somewhat understand her. "That's called 'fabric.' It's what we make clothes out of."

"This stuff is so incredible." Suki breathed. "What's this thing?" She walked over to the box object that looked like it had a flower on top.

"That's our record player." Poppy pulled out a record and placed it on the player. She turned it on, and music emitted from the speakerphone. The wolf-trolls jumped, several of them shifting to wolf or half-wolf form. Poppy began dancing to the music, laughing. "It's called music! It's fun! You dance to it and sing with it."

Suki, in her half-wolf form, approached Poppy and began mimicking her movements. At Suki's encouragement, the other wolf-trolls changed to their troll or half-wolf forms and joined in the dance. Wolf-troll dances were a bit different than what Poppy saw back home. But she loved seeing it. She couldn't wait to document it all in her scrapbook. Branch took her hands and guided her through the dance. He loved that bright and happy smile on her lips and her eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Even after the music stopped, the wolf-trolls whooped and howled and barked happily. Poppy giggled, petting Fuzzbert and even hugging Suki.

Branch smiled at the sight. Then he saw something behind Poppy, and he gulped. _Uh oh._

Poppy felt someone's hot breath on her neck, and she turned around. Her nose touched the snout of a rather large maroon-colored wolf-troll, his fur dusted with grey. He didn't look very happy, either.

Poppy gulped. "Um…hello…"

Peppy snarled in Poppy's face. Poppy screamed and fell to the ground, scooting backwards until she hit a chair. Peppy prowled closer, still growling. Poppy grabbed a nearby scrapbook and held it in front of her face. Peppy sniffed the pink troll, and then snarled again. Branch and his pack-mates recoiled at the fierceness coming from their alpha.

"Poppy!"

Everyone perked up at the call. Poppy realized her sisters and Creek came this way, searching for her. Peppy barked sharply, and his pack members followed him into the forest. Branch paused and looked back to Poppy. Her gaze pleaded for him to stay. But Peppy came back and grabbed Branch by his scruff, pulling him along. The wolf-trolls disappeared.

"Oh Poppy!" Satin and Chenille gasped as they ran to their sister. They hugged the pink troll, sighing in relief.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" Satin said.

"Why did you leave the camp?" Chenille asked.

"Yes, where did you go?" Creek asked. "We came back and saw you were gone. Had we not heard the record player, we would still be out there."

Poppy finally got over her shock from Peppy's aggressive behavior. "Girls. Oh, girls, you won't believe this. I was…..I was sitting here…and then I saw this adorable little monkey! So I drew a picture and then the monkey ran off with my headband. Then I chased after the monkey and got my headband back and made the adorable monkey a flower crown. Suddenly we were attacked by a felidala!"

"What?!" Satin, Chenille, and Creek gasped.

"And so we ran! We're running through the forest!" Poppy said, animatedly explaining her story. "Me and the monkey, we're running! Well, I'm running. He's sitting in my hair. And I jumped over the river and suddenly I'm flying through the air! And then we're flipping and jumping and running across treetops and that cat is right behind us! I could almost feel its claws on me and then suddenly it was done! We escape and we won and I….." Poppy sighed dreamily. "I was saved by a wild troll who barked like a dog."

By then, Creek and the twins stared at Poppy, dumbfounded. "I'm sorry, what?" Creek asked.

"Barked like a dog?" Satin repeated.

"Heaven's sake." Chenille said.

Poppy still hadn't stopped swooning. "And he was so handsome and brave and the wolf-trolls were—"

"Wolf-trolls?" Creek and the twins asked eagerly.

"What wolf-trolls?" Creek asked. "Where are they?"

Poppy stared wistfully into the forest. "They left and took him with them."

"Who is 'him'?" Chenille asked.

"Who saved you?" Satin added.

Poppy smiled. "Branch. The wild troll of Darknem. No, wait. Branch of the Wolf-trolls. That's a great title! I have to write this down!" She practically dived headfirst into her tent, leaving her sisters and Creek still very perplexed.

* * *

When Peppy brought Branch and his friends back to the pack, Peppy immediately ordered everyone to move out. Word quickly spread (mostly thanks to Guy Diamond) about the strange creatures. It was twilight before Peppy allowed the pack to stop. They were far enough away that the strangers wouldn't find them, and they could sleep easy tonight. But the pack was in an uproar. Nobody knew who these strange creatures were, or if they meant any harm.

Peppy changed to his troll form and stood on a short mushroom to better look out over his pack. "Listen! I have seen the nest these strangers created. It is not permanent. They will either move to a new part of the forest or leave entirely. Until they leave, we will avoid them. Keep away from them. If you are captured, you only need to send the call, and someone will come to help."

"Peppy, they aren't going to hurt us." Branch spoke up. Some of the wolf-trolls stared at him. Very rarely did someone speak out when the alpha gave an order.

"One of them is clearly armed, Branch." Peppy protested. "We have no idea why they're here, but they clearly have no qualms about causing damage while they're in the forest."

"I watched them for nearly an hour before I had to save one from Zina's cub." Branch insisted. "They're harmless." That was partially a lie. He observed the trolls for a much shorter time. But he had faith that Poppy, at the very least, was friendly.

Peppy glared at him disbelievingly. "Harmless? Then why only approach one? Why not approach them all?"

Branch stumbled a bit over his words. "Well, the others had left so—"

"So you interacted with the weakest member of the herd?" Peppy guessed. "Was this interacting with the strangers or were you trying to hunt them?"

"At least I'm not afraid of them just because they're different!" Branch snapped.

Peppy matched Branch's glare. He took a few steps forward. He wasn't much taller than Branch, but the added height of the mushroom allowed Peppy to tower over the blue troll. "Protect this pack, like you're supposed to." Peppy growled. "Because if I ever catch you near those strangers besides hunting them for lunch, Zina's fight will seem like a stroll by the stream compared to what I'll do to you. Understand?"

Branch clenched his fists. But he couldn't argue with Peppy anymore. Besides, he had already proven himself to be a protector of the pack. He couldn't do anything that might threaten his family. "Fine." Branch turned on his heel and began marching away.

Rosiepuff caught up to him. "Branch, just this once, listen to Peppy."

"Why didn't you tell me there were other creatures who did the things I do?" Branch demanded.

"What?" Rosiepuff stammered a little.

"Those strangers? They can stretch their hair like I do." Branch said. "They look like me. They do things that I can do but other wolf-trolls can't. Why didn't you tell me I wasn't the only one?" He was too angry to listen for an answer, so Branch marched off and pulled himself into a tree. Rosiepuff stared after him, at a loss for what to do. She was even more shocked to hear more of Branch's kind had arrived in the forest. This was the truth she avoided ever since she found Branch all those years ago. She could only hope Branch didn't do anything crazy.

Branch sat on a tree limb and stared out into the distance. He thought back to Poppy, the pink troll who was so much like him. Did she have the answers he needed? Did she know how to use her hair powers in ways Branch didn't know about?

"Who are you?" Branch murmured.


	16. Strangers Like Me

**Chapter Sixteen – Strangers Like Me**

For the rest of the day and well into the night, Poppy couldn't stop talking about Branch, the wild troll who saved her. Satin and Chenille were rather fascinated while Creek rolled his eyes. He didn't believe for one second that Poppy was saved by some wild blue troll she met in the forest. Poppy spent the entire next morning making a scrapbook of her adventure being saved by Branch, and she and her sisters flipped through it during lunch. They sat on some cushions with their lunch, some cupcakes, and a pitcher of iced tea on a coffee table before them. They already ate their sandwiches and snacked on cupcakes while they talked.

"How amazing!" Satin breathed.

"He really acted like a wolf-troll?" Chenille asked.

"Oh yeah." Poppy nodded. She drew a picture of Branch in her sketchbook. "Was down on all fours. Sniffing around. Even growled at me. Sometimes he would stand up. It was just so incredible."

"It's unbelievable!" Chenille agreed. "A troll born in the wild. No language like ours, doesn't behave like us—"

"And no regard for personal space." Poppy added.

"What do you mean?" Satin asked. She jumped a little when Poppy put her face very close to hers.

"He was this close to me! Staring at me and grabbing my face and arms and legs." Poppy went back to her drawing to fill in Branch's eyes. "He seemed confused, I guess. Like he had never seen someone like him. His eyes were so focused." Poppy stared at the eyes she drew on her sketch of Branch. "I've never seen such eyes."

Satin and Chenille smirked at each other. "Shall we leave you and your drawing alone?"

"Oh stop it." Poppy huffed, shutting her sketchbook. "I mean imagine what he could teach us about the forest! We may even find the wolf-trolls again with his help! We have to find him again!"

Creek rolled his eyes. He approached a table near the girls' chairs and set his cupcake and a cup on the table. What he didn't know was that Branch watched them from the treetops. Branch just couldn't help his curiosity, so he snuck away from the pack to investigate these strangers. He was glad to catch them at lunchtime so he could determine if these strangers would hunt wolf-trolls to eat. Although this didn't seem to be the case, Branch still couldn't identify the food and drink these trolls consumed.

Creek picked up his cup and walked up to the girls to pour himself a cup of iced tea. "Ladies, you came here to study wolf-trolls, not indulge in a silly fantasy."

"Fantasy?" Poppy scoffed. "I did not imagine Branch. He's real!"

"I'm sorry, love." Creek shrugged as he headed back to his table. "I just can't believe that any troll could survive out here on their own." He sat down and reached for his cupcake, only to touch an empty plate. Creek looked all around, even under the table, but his treat disappeared. "All right, which one of you stole my cupcake?"

"We're over here. We didn't take it." Chenille shrugged.

Frowning, mostly out of confusion, Creek walked to the kitchen area and grabbed a few more cupcakes to refill the serving tray.

He had no idea the culprit was Branch, who used his hair to snatch the cupcake while Creek's back was turned. Branch looked over the strange foodstuff he did not recognize. It had some sort of sticky stuff on top. Branch found a waxy peel, which he pulled off like eating a banana. He tossed the peel away and stared at the soft foodstuff in his palm. He gave it a sniff. It certainly smelled good. Tentatively, Branch took a bite. His face lit up. Wow, that was _really_ good! He gobbled up the rest of the cupcake. He glanced down and perked up when he saw Creek placing a few more cupcakes on the girls' tray while taking one for himself. Branch scurried down the tree and hid in the bushes. He snuck forward and hid behind a wooden box that made a clicking noise. What did Poppy call it? A clock?

"I think we should go searching for the actual wolf-trolls." Creek suggested as he unwrapped his cupcake. "Perhaps we should try searching along the creeks and rivers."

"What we need to do is find out when they hunt." Satin said.

"Yes, very good." Creek nodded. He walked to the kitchen area to get a napkin. Branch took his chance when no one was looking and used his hair to snatch the cupcake. When Creek returned to his seat, he growled in frustration. "Would you stop that?"

"Stop what?" Poppy asked.

"Stealing my food!" Creek snapped. "You three are having a go at me, and I don't appreciate it!"

"We aren't stealing your food, Creek." Satin said.

"Maybe you need to keep better track of it." Chenille teased.

Creek frowned again and swiped another cupcake off the serving tray. He looked around suspiciously as he sat back in his spot. He protected his cupcake with his arm as he took a drink of tea. When he felt a tap on his shoulder, Creek turned his head and saw no one. Just in time, he looked down to his plate and saw a blue hand reaching for his cupcake.

"Gotcha!" Creek laughed triumphantly, grabbing the thief's wrist. He didn't expect the hand to pull his arm under the table. He yelped in pain when something bit him, and a flash of blue bounded over the table, taking Creek's cupcake with it. The blue blur disappeared into the bushes.

"Wait!" Poppy called. "Branch!"

Branch froze at the sound of his name, the cupcake grasped gently in his teeth. He slowly turned back as he finished eating.

"What in the hair was that?" Creek demanded, drawing his sword.

"That was Branch!" Poppy declared happily. She piled cupcakes onto her plate and carefully approached the bushes. "Branch?" Poppy called, peering through the gaps of the foliage in hopes she would see the blue wild troll. "It's okay. You just surprised us, that's all." Poppy took one of the cupcakes and held it out towards the shrub. "You want another one?" She tried unwrapping the cupcake and held the chocolate cake out for Branch to take. After a moment, a blue hand shot out of the bushes and took the cupcake. Poppy giggled. "You like those, don't you? Want another?" Poppy scooted back a little ways and unwrapped another cupcake. "Come on. If you want this one, you have to come out." To her surprise, Branch's blue locks shot from the bushes and grabbed the cupcake from Poppy's hand. "Hey!" Poppy whined.

Satin and Chenille giggled madly. "Is it really him?" Satin asked excitedly.

"Yep." Poppy nodded. She backed up until she reached her sisters, and she unwrapped the third cupcake. "All right, Branch!" Poppy called. "If you want this one, you really have to come out now!"

Apparently not. Branch shot his hair out again and snatched the cupcake away.

Creek had his crossbow now, and he aimed it into the bushes. Poppy pushed the weapon down. "We have no idea who that crazy troll is!" Creek hissed.

"He is Branch, and he's not going to hurt us." Poppy insisted. She set the empty plate down and crouched down a foot away from the bushes. "Branch? Come on. Please come out."

It took a minute, but Branch finally emerged from the foliage on all fours. He grinned as he put his face so close to Poppy's that their noses brushed. "Poppy." He said.

"Hello Branch." Poppy greeted.

"I see what you mean by personal space, Poppy." Satin giggled. Branch peered around Poppy and bounded over to the twins. He eyed them curiously, especially their conjoined hair.

"It's really him!" Chenille gasped. "Hello there, Branch."

Branch sniffed the twins, who giggled madly in amusement and awe. Then Branch came over to Creek and checked him out.

"What is he doing?" Creek demanded. He didn't really like how Branch eyed him. He especially didn't like it when Branch yanked on his hair and poked and prodded his arms. Branch seemed to be comparing his own physique to Creek's.

"He's just curious." Poppy shrugged.

"He really does act like a wolf-troll, doesn't he?" Satin laughed.

Chenille hummed in thought. "I wonder…." She walked over to Branch and started scratching him behind the ear. Branch went rigid, and then grinned in a loopy way and leaned into the touch. Satin and Poppy laughed at the sight. Satin tried scratching Branch's other ear, and the blue wild troll began tapping his foot rapidly in his pleasure.

"Okay, that's pretty cute." Poppy cooed.

Creek didn't know what to make of this wild troll. "Yeah…cute….."

"Look at him." Satin breathed in awe as Branch nuzzled his head against her. "Moves like a wolf-troll, but looks like us! I wonder if he lives in a pack."

Creek lit up with an idea. "Perhaps he _can_ lead us to the wolf-trolls." He stepped up to Branch. He cleared his throat. "Where are the wolf-trolls?"

Branch didn't really understand Creek. He sniffed Creek's crossbow curiously.

Creek raised his voice and enunciated his words. "Wolf-trolls!"

"Wolf-trolls!" Branch repeated in that same tone and volume. He grinned like a child who just told a great joke. He thought they were playing a game.

"Shouting won't help, Creek." Poppy said. "He doesn't understand our language."

"Then I'll make him understand." Creek said determinedly. He dropped his crossbow on the table and picked up his walking stick. Creek used his walking stick to sketch out a crudely drawn picture of a wolf-troll in the dirt. He looked to Branch and pointed to the drawing. "Wolf-troll."

Branch took the walking stick and stared back and forth between it and the drawing. He brushed his hands across the dirt to erase the drawing. Then he used the walking stick and drew a perfect sketch of a wolf-troll. He pointed to his picture. "Wolf-troll."

"Wow." Satin said.

"I think he's got it." Chenille said hopefully.

Creek pointed to the drawing Branch made. "Where are the wolf-trolls?"

Branch pointed to the drawing. "Wolf-trolls."

"Yes, where?" Creek repeated. Branch tilted his head in confusion. Creek snatched the walking stick back and drew and arrow pointing to the wolf-troll drawing. He drew a question mark on the other side of the arrow. "Where?" He asked slowly.

Branch took the walking stick back, and he drew another arrow and question mark like Creek.

"NO!" Creek grabbed the walking stick, but Branch jumped up and clamped his teeth around the stick. "No, no!" Creek scolded, futilely trying to pull the stick from Branch's mouth. "No! Bad wild troll! Give it back!" Branch growled playfully, standing on all fours and twisting his head to pull the stick away from Creek. He definitely liked this game.

"Maybe he doesn't get it." Chenille sighed.

Creek finally managed to yank the stick out of Branch's mouth, only for Poppy to swipe it from him. "Creek, I think I'll take it from here."

* * *

Poppy and her sisters decided to earn Branch's trust by feeding his curiosity; and giving him more cupcakes. They took him into one of their tents and showed him the books they brought with them. One book was an animal encyclopedia, and the twins showed Branch one of the pictures. The image looked a lot like a wolf-troll, but when he tried to touch it, he only felt the ink-stained paper. Then Poppy showed Branch a comic book picture: a superhero troll lifting a rock over his head, which Branch mimicked by lifting up Creek's chair while Creek still sat in it. Poppy and the girls kept flipping through the books, surprising Branch again and again. When the girls showed an image of two trolls waltzing, Branch took Poppy by the hand and clumsily tried to waltz with her across the room. That sparked the idea from Satin and Chenille that maybe Branch would like music, and they showed him their record player. Branch definitely liked hearing the music, and Poppy even taught him a proper waltz.

Branch caught sight of something even more interesting, and he abandoned Poppy to investigate. He lifted up one of Satin and Chenille's fashion reference books and flipped through it.

"That's one of our favorite design books." Chenille said. "You like it?"

Branch ran his fingers over the words on the page. His eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"He can't read." Poppy realized. "He doesn't know our language."

"Well we'll have to fix that." Satin said. She walked up to Branch and smiled sweetly. "Would you like to learn to read? Do you want to understand that?"

Branch pointed to the words and shrugged to indicate he had no idea what it meant.

"Oh brother." Creek rolled his eyes, rather bored by the impromptu lessons.

* * *

Over the next couple days, Branch learned the language of the rainbow trolls, which the species of Poppy, Satin, Chenille, and Creek. In no time at all, he could speak the rainbow troll language with simple sentences. He also taught his new friends some basic wolf-troll body language. It made communication a little easier between Branch and the rainbow troll travelers.

Even more exciting for Branch was learning how to use his hair powers. He couldn't just stretch out his hair, as Poppy, Satin, Chenille, and Creek showed him. The rainbow trolls showed Branch how they could make their hair into interesting shapes and change the color of the hair. Learning to change his hair color certainly helped Branch with his camouflage, and it made for quite the interesting game of hide-and-seek. He hadn't quite mastered storing things in his hair like Poppy could. Hopefully he could pick that up in time.

"This is our home, the Troll Tree." Poppy told Branch one day, showing the wild troll one of her scrapbooks. "This is where my sisters and I live. It's our home."

Branch touched the picture of the tree. "Home."

"That's right." Poppy nodded. "There are lots of rainbow trolls there."

"Like Poppy." Branch guessed.

Poppy giggled. "Yep. Just like me." She turned the page to show a picture of her and her sisters when they were children. "And that's me when I was a little girl."

Branch smiled broadly at the cute little troll in the picture. "Poppy."

Poppy was still getting used to Branch's broken, almost childlike speak. She noticed Branch pick up one of her sketchbooks and browse through it. He stopped at a sketch of a troll she colored grey and black. Branch's expression looked like a mix of realization and confusion. "Not all trolls are that color." Poppy assured.

"Grey?" Branch questioned.

"Trolls turn grey when they lose their happiness." Poppy explained. "But they don't stay that way forever. Well, unless they choose not to find their happiness again." Branch stared at her in confusion. "See, a troll turns grey when they lose their happiness. Most of the time, they manage to find it again and their colors return. But some trolls give in to their misery, and refuse to find happiness. It's really quite sad."

Branch remembered when he turned grey. He found his happiness through Silver, so his colors were returned. He picked up another one of Poppy's sketchpads and looked through it. He stopped at a small painting she did very recently of him.

"You like that?" Poppy asked. "I was trying to get your hair correctly. I haven't been able to get the color just right."

"Just right." Branch nodded in satisfaction.

"Aw, thanks!" Poppy said with a blush.

Branch put a hand on Poppy's head. "Just right."

Poppy's blush became fiercer. She didn't know if Branch was complimenting her artistic skills or calling her as a whole "just right." She cleared her throat. "Uh, can you teach me other wolf-troll sounds or signs?" She pulled down one of her wolf-troll books and turned to a page that showed an explorer's sketch of two wolf-trolls pressing their foreheads together. "What does this mean? Why do they do this?"

"Love sign." Branch said. He struggled to find the right words to explain it in Poppy's language. "Mother do to me, to mate."

Poppy took a moment to register this. "So it's a sign of affection? Like a hug?"

"Better." Branch said.

"So like a kiss?" Poppy guessed.

"Better!" Branch chirped.

"Wow." Poppy breathed. "How amazing."

Branch smiled at Poppy with a rather awestruck expression. He thought Poppy was rather amazing herself. He couldn't explain these feelings he had in his heart. He just couldn't explain why he always wanted to be near her. But he more time he spent with Poppy, the more these emotions grew inside him.

Quite frankly, he loved it.

As Branch left, he had a skip in his step. He hummed to himself as he walked home that evening. The familiarity was something he just couldn't ignore. These rainbow trolls did things that he could do too. Things his pack-mates couldn't do. After learning everything about the forest, Branch was hungry for knowledge about these new creatures he met.

Something Silver told him a long time ago came back to Branch. There was a high possibility that Branch was only half wolf-troll, which would explain his hair powers and how he changed colors when he was depressed. If his mother Rosiepuff was a wolf-troll, what if his father was actually a rainbow troll?

* * *

"Now these are the weapons a rainbow troll uses." Creek said, laying out his weaponry on a table for Branch to see. He held up his crossbow and shot a few arrows at a nearby target dummy. "This is a crossbow. To shoot your enemies when they're far away." He picked up a flash pod. "These are mainly for scaring away predators or sending up signal flares. I also use them to mark my trail in the forest."

"What this?" Branch picked up Creek's metal sword by its leather-wrapped handle.

"My sword." Creek took the blade and approached the training dummy. "You use it to fight with your opponent, and then kill him like this." Creek slashed his sword across the dummy's chest, causing stuffing to spill out. "Or like this." Creek stabbed the sword into the dummy's chest, where its heart would've rested. "Or maybe like this." Creek swung the blade and decapitated the dummy.

"Then eat him!" Branch guessed with a confident smile.

"What? Heavens no!" Creek scoffed. "Do I look like a cannibal?"

Branch tilted his head in confusion. "What is cannibal?"

"Means eating your own kind." Creek said. "And I don't eat him after I kill him."

"Why kill but no eat?" Branch asked.

"Because he is your enemy." Creek said. "You hate him. So you kill him. That is the way of the warrior."

"Not wolf-troll way." Branch said with a small frown. "Not forest law."

Creek licked his thumb to clean dirt off his sword blade. "Laws were made to be broken. Do you really think any creature in this forest won't kill you just because they hate you?"

"Forest law, all follow." Branch said in determination. Still, he had to think back to Zina, who never followed the laws of the forest and constantly killed for pleasure. Who knows what her cub did these days?

"Hey Branch!" Chenille called from her and Satin's tent. "We have a surprise for you!"

Branch perked up in excitement and bounded over. Creek watched him go. He wished it were easier to track Branch, but every time Creek tried to follow the wild troll home, he would lose him. Branch was their only link to the wolf-trolls, and he wasn't cooperating in the least.

* * *

So thirsty was Branch for knowledge on the rainbow trolls that he began sneaking away to see them every single day. For two weeks straight, he awoke before his pack-mates and snuck away to the camp where he would learn something new about his friends or about his own hair abilities. He was careful to not let anyone see him leave. Sometimes one of his pack-mates would ask where he had been, and Branch would shrug and say something like "hunting" or "scouting for dangers." Peppy seemed to buy it (or maybe he just didn't care anyway). Nobody suspected a thing.

Nobody except Rosiepuff, Suki, and Cooper, that is.

Suki and Cooper always spent the most amount of time with Branch, and they certainly noticed when he would disappear all day and not return until the evening. They missed seeing him, and they were rather jealous of the attention the strangers were getting. Still, out of loyalty for their brother and pack-mate, Suki and Cooper didn't tell anyone where Branch really went every day.

Rosiepuff's anxiousness rose with every day that Branch left to talk to the strangers. The more time he spent with them, the higher the odds were of him finding out the truth. After raising him all his life, Rosiepuff didn't want Branch to find out that he wasn't actually a wolf-troll. Perhaps it was selfish of her, but Rosiepuff wanted to keep Branch with her and in the pack. She just didn't know how to dissuade Branch from going to talk to the strangers every day.

 _They can't stay here forever._ Rosiepuff thought as she watched Branch leave yet again. _Soon they'll be gone, and Branch will forget all about them._

* * *

When Branch arrived that day, Creek tried to steer him towards a conversation about the wolf-trolls and where to find them. But it didn't take long for Branch to decide that he wanted to spend time with Poppy. He discovered her sitting just outside the border of the camp, sketching a beetle who had landed on the ground in front of her. Branch quietly came up behind her and saw her sketch halfway finished.

Poppy saw Branch watching her, and she showed him her picture. "What do you think?"

"Poppy talented." Branch said.

"Thanks." Poppy looked back to the beetle to finish her drawing, but the beetle flew away. "Aw man." Poppy pouted.

Branch didn't like seeing Poppy upset. He took a few steps deeper into the forest and gestured for Poppy to follow him. "Come."

"Where?" Poppy asked.

"Show Poppy Branch's home." Branch offered.

Poppy thought about it for only a moment before she stuffed her sketchbook and pencil into her hair. She turned to the camp. "Hey Satin! Chenille! I'm going out into the forest with Branch!"

"Stay safe!" Satin called back.

"Have fun!" Chenille called.

"Let's go!" Poppy cheered. She followed Branch into the forest.

Creek watched them go with a musing stare. _Maybe Poppy can find the wolf-trolls for us after all._

* * *

Branch led Poppy deep into the forest. He showed her some of his favorite spots in the forest, where she could see the beauty he experienced every single day. They climbed up a small hill to the edge of a cliff and looked out over the treetops. The two of them scampered through a field of wildflowers, and Poppy stopped at every single flower she saw to take a sniff. She would spin around with her arms spread, letting the sunlight wash over her. Branch watched her with awe. Then he led her to a tree and stretched out his hair to pull himself up. He was yet again amazed when Poppy did the same thing. He led her to the very top of the tree where they could look out over the flower field. Poppy stared, a smile spreading across her face.

Branch and Poppy continued on to check out some of the animals of the forest. Branch took her to see a wingdingle nest that had some chicks in it. They visited the den of a friendly felidala whose kittens played with Poppy for at least an hour. Branch also took Poppy to see a whole flock of beetles so she could finish her drawing. They spent a good few hours playing hide-and-seek with their hair-color-changing abilities.

Even as the sun began to set, neither Branch nor Poppy felt the need to return to camp. In fact, the incoming nighttime reminded Branch of one more place that he wanted to show Poppy. He guided her through the forest as the dusk light faded away and the moonlight became stronger. When they came close, Branch had Poppy cover her eyes so he could lead her forward and surprise her.

When Poppy opened her eyes at Branch's instruction, she couldn't stop her gasp and wide smile. Branch knew this place as Starlight Falls, where a gorgeous waterfall fell softly into a pool that spilled into the creek. The moonlight made the falls glow, and Poppy could see a rainbow in the mist. It was so peaceful and beautiful. The sight took Poppy's breath away, and she was hardly aware of herself stepping closer to the edge of the pool.

Branch walked up to Poppy and grinned at the sight of her awestruck look. He offered her his hand, and she took it with that same gorgeous grin.

Quite suddenly, Branch pulled Poppy into the water. Poppy jumped up and gasped from how cold the water was, but she then laughed. She splashed Branch playfully before following him towards the waterfall. At first, she feared the water would hurt when it fell on her head. But Poppy soon discovered that it felt more like heavy rain. She leaned her face to the sky and let the mist settle over her. She smiled at Branch, unable to put her thanks into words.

Branch helped Poppy climb onto a flat rock near the falls, and he shook himself to get rid of the water. Poppy giggled as she was hit with the spray. Branch smiled softly. He loved that laugh. He loved the way Poppy's eyes shined and how her smile seemed to make the day or night brighter. He loved her sense of adventure and her kindness and her beauty.

He loved her.

Branch gently took Poppy's head in his hands. Poppy froze in surprise when Branch cupped her cheeks in his palms, and she blushed when she saw that look of adoration in his eyes. He brought his head forward and pressed his and Poppy's foreheads together.

Poppy remembered what Branch told her about this sign of affection for the wolf-trolls, and it made her blush even more. But she didn't move her head away.

* * *

"We've wasted enough time as it is." Creek complained. "The boat will be here in two days. You ask him right now, or we'll lose our chance!"

Poppy, Satin, and Chenille exchanged looks. They loved having Branch around and teaching him the ways of his true species. But Creek did have a point. They just had to find wolf-trolls for their studies, and Branch was the way to find them. It wasn't enough to just talk to Branch about the wolf-trolls. The girls always wanted to see real wolf-trolls.

So, almost reluctantly, the girls and Creek approached Branch as he flipped through one of Poppy's scrapbooks.

"Branch?" the blue troll perked up when Poppy spoke to him. She spoke slowly so he would know what she said. "We want to see the wolf-trolls. Is that possible?"

Branch's smile shrunk to a worried frown, and he stared at the ground. "Uh….."

"Well?" Creek asked hopefully.

Branch sighed. "I can't."

"Why not, Branch?" Poppy asked.

"Peppy." Branch replied. He couldn't say anything more. He abandoned the scrapbook and hurried off into the forest before his friends could ask more questions.

He glanced back once to see Creek rather furious while Poppy and her sisters looked disappointed. He hated to see them that way. But he just couldn't bring them to the pack with Peppy's attitude towards them. Peppy would tear them to pieces. Branch wasn't about to let that happen.

It's what was for the best for everyone.

* * *

Thankfully for Branch, Poppy, Satin, and Chenille held no ill will and allowed him to continue visiting them. Creek was pretty steamed, though, and constantly tried to get Branch to tell him where the wolf-trolls could be found. Branch ignored him for the most part.

One evening, Branch stayed a bit later than normal, and the girls let him look through the books. It was rather amusing for them to see Branch go from one book to another at rapid pace, and then wear a look of awe when he stared at the pictures. After a while, though, they fell asleep on the chairs in the tent.

Branch finally found a book that caused him to pause. It showed a rather interesting image: a pair of rainbow trolls, one male and one female. The female looked bashful. The male troll looked sheepish, offering the female troll a bouquet of flowers.

 _Is that what rainbow trolls do for courtship?_ Branch wondered. He already tried some wolf-troll courtship traditions, but one of those included showing off strength. Creek didn't really like the impromptu spar Branch initiated. What if this worked? Branch stared at the image of the flowers.

He knew just what to do.


	17. Soulmate Song

**Chapter Seventeen – Soulmate Song**

 _Just need some of this…..and a few of those….._ Branch made sure to arrange the flowers in his hand as prettily as possible. He looked around with his finger to his lip in thought. _Some of those too!_ He plucked a few red poppies to add them to the bouquets. _Perfect!_ Branch had a skip in his step as he bounded back towards the pack.

Rosiepuff didn't know what to expect when she went on her hunt, but she certainly didn't expect Branch popping up next to her. She was a bit irritated when her prey bounded off in fear. Rosiepuff shifted to her troll form and stood to face her son.

"What are you so excited about?" Rosiepuff asked with a bit of sass in her tone.

"Nothing in particular." Branch panted, a little out of breath. He held out one of the bouquets in his hands. "For you!"

"Oh Branch!" Rosiepuff gasped in surprise. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"I know I haven't been around much lately and I never give you a straight answer for why." Branch said guiltily. "So, I'm sorry."

Rosiepuff smiled and pulled him into a tight hug. "No worries, my angel." She noticed the second bouquet in Branch's hand. "Who's that one for? Got a hot date tonight?"

Branch blushed. "Well, not really. But they are for a girl. What do you think? Are they okay?"

Rosiepuff looked around and picked up a few bluebells from the bush nearby. She tucked them into the bouquet. "There. Perfect."

"Great!" Branch hugged his mother again and kissed her cheek. "Thanks Mom. See you later!" He bounded off into the forest again.

Rosiepuff shook her head with a small smile. It certainly warmed her heart to see the Branch she remembered. With any luck, she would have him back fully and they could forget about those strangers.

Cooper and Suki noticed Branch leaving yet again, with a cluster of flowers in his hand and a blissful smile on his face.

"Ah, Suki." Cooper sighed with a grin. "Have you ever seen such a smile on his face?"

Suki huffed and crossed her arms. "I hate it."

Cooper stared at Suki worriedly. All this covering for Branch without thanks or even noticing had really taken its toll on Suki. She was clearly jealous of all the time Branch spent with the newcomers. But Cooper knew that the strangers would leave someday, and he and Suki would need to be there when Branch missed them.

As Branch made his way to the camp, he recited in his head what he would say to Poppy. It wouldn't be easy with his limited knowledge of Poppy's language, but he could show her what he felt.

 _This is the day._ Branch decided. _I'll tell her today._ He stopped at the shrubbery that separated him from the camp. Branch combed out his hair with his fingers and exhaled slowly. He pushed his way through the shrub border.

Branch paused. The camp looked different. The tents were pulled down, books and knickknacks and all the girls' and Creek's belongings organized into boxes, and a group of rainbow trolls taking things off into the forest. In the distance, Branch saw a large, brown shape with white squares sitting on the ocean. He scanned the crowd for familiar faces and soon found them.

"Please, Captain Moxie!" Satin begged. "We've waited years for this!"

"There must be some time left to explore just a few more days!" Chenille said. "We must see at least one wolf-troll before we leave!"

Moxie, a troll with lavender skin and lighter lavender hair wearing a yellow dress, pinched the space between her eyes. "I thought you already met one."

"We met a wild troll. That doesn't count." Creek snapped. "You're the captain! Just tell them we won't be able to sail out for another couple days!"

"For what reason?" Moxie asked.

"Captain, we've come all this way." Poppy pleaded.

"Then you should have managed your time better." Moxie said. "I'm sorry, Miss Poppy. But we are leaving early tomorrow morning. That's the final word on it." She turned on her heel and marched off.

Creek glared at Poppy. "See what you've done? I told you we should've set traps for the beast!"

"You think I'm not disappointed as well?" Poppy demanded. "I wanted to see the wolf-trolls more than anything!"

"Then you should've asked our lovely little wild troll instead of treating him like our pet!" Creek shouted. "That bloody little—" He looked past Poppy, his eyes widening.

Poppy spun around and gasped happily. "Branch!"

"Oh we're so happy you came!" Satin said. She and Chenille kissed Branch's cheeks.

Branch stepped up to Poppy and handed her the bouquet in his hands.

"Aw, thank you!" Poppy said, accepting the flowers. "We're so glad you're here. That over there—" She pointed to the shape on the ocean, a short distance from the shoreline. "—is the ship that's going to take us back to our home. My sisters and I…..or, that is….I was hoping you might…..you know, come with us?"

"Go with Poppy?" Branch asked.

"With all of us." Chenille said. "Back to the Troll Tree."

Branch thought about it. "Go see Troll Tree. After, come home."

Poppy exchanged worried glances with her sisters. "Um, Branch?" Satin said.

"It'll actually be very hard to come back to Darknem." Chenille said.

"We might not be able to come back at all." Poppy admitted.

Branch's eyebrows furrowed, both in confusion and concern. "Poppy and sisters…..no come home?"

"Well, not to here." Poppy said. "I mean, our home is in the Troll Tree. But I think it would be great if you came with us. You belong with other rainbow trolls where we can—"

Branch took Poppy's head in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. "Poppy's home, Branch's home."

Poppy dropped her flowers in shock. "Oh gods are you asking me to—"

"Poppy stay." Branch insisted. He hoped she could see the desperation in his eyes. He wanted her to be with him.

"But I…" Poppy pulled away. "I can't…..my sisters…"

"Branch, we would love to stay." Chenille said. "But we….."

"It's just that….." Satin searched for the right words.

"Rainbow trolls don't belong in the wild." Creek said.

"Creek." Poppy admonished.

"Maybe if he did what he was supposed to and showed us the wolf-trolls—"

"That was never his job." Satin said.

"We shouldn't have pressured him to do that, anyway." Chenille added.

Branch perked up a little. "Wolf-trolls?"

"Branch, don't worry about it." Poppy assured. "It doesn't matter."

Branch's thoughts ran a mile a minute. "Poppy see wolf-trolls, Poppy stay?"

Poppy stumbled over her words. She loved him, she really did. But she didn't know if she could leave her life behind and stay in the forest, even for the chance to see wolf-trolls. "I would love to see them, but—"

"Satin and Chenille see wolf-trolls, Satin and Chenille stay?" Branch asked.

"We don't want to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do." Satin said.

Branch thought hard. If Peppy laid eyes on Creek, Poppy, and her sisters, he would tear them in half. But who said he had to see them? _If they just see one wolf-troll, the one wolf-troll whose hunting places I know best._ "Branch show you wolf-trolls! Come now!"

Part of her wanted to refused. But Poppy's desire to see at least one more wolf-troll caused her to say, "Okay! Let's tell Captain Moxie that we're going on a trip. Branch, can you give us half an hour to get ready?"

"Yes!" Branch nodded. "Branch….uh, I come back!" He turned and scampered off into the forest.

"I'll go tell the captain our plan." Creek offered. The girls nodded in agreement before hurrying away to find their supplies. Creek caught a passing sailor troll. "Change of plans, Sam. Pass this message on to the others."

* * *

Branch knew he would need some help. He didn't think it would be this hard to convince Suki to do it.

"Come on, Suki!" Branch pleaded. Suki rolled her eyes and stood from the mushroom she napped on. she changed to her half-wolf form and hopped to the ground. Branch followed her. "Suki, this is important to me."

"You sure know a lot about important things." Suki said sarcastically.

"I'll help!" Cooper offered. He yelped in pain when Suki grabbed him by the dreadlocks and pulled him along.

Branch climbed up into a tree and shot ahead so he could land in his pack-mates' path. "Guys, I know I haven't been around lately and I'm so sorry for that. But I really need your help. This girl…..she's different. I want to make her happy." He crouched down and bowed his head. "I am asking as a brother, as a pack-mate. Please help me."

"I'm in!" Cooper said immediately.

Suki groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. "Oh fine. What do you want?"

Branch perked up and hopped to his feet. "I'm going to introduce them to Mom. But if we end up getting closer to the pack for any reason, Peppy needs to be far away so he doesn't freak out and kill them. So if I come that way—and, Cooper, you're going to be a lookout and watch for me—you two have to make up some excuse to get Peppy away from the pack."

"I think I can think of something." Suki said.

"Yeah, we got you covered." Cooper agreed.

Branch hugged them tightly. "Thank you guys so much."

* * *

Rosiepuff had specific hunting grounds scattered around Darknem. The pack moved all around their territory, and Rosiepuff knew the best places to catch prey no matter where they went. She found the precise place to catch some deechicks for dinner, and prowled around in her wolf form to find them.

A howl caught her attention. Rosiepuff shifted to her half-wolf form and stood, scanning the area. Her ears twitched, and she turned to see Branch stepping out from behind a thick tree trunk. She smiled warmly. _There's my boy._ She walked over to meet him; but when Poppy, Satin, Chenille, and Creek joined Branch, Rosiepuff froze and her eyes widened. _What is he doing?_

Branch saw his mother, and he smiled. Poppy followed his gaze and gasped softly. "Satin! Chenille! Look!" She whispered.

The twins looked, and they gasped at the sight. "Is it really?" Satin breathed.

"She's got the look of a troll but with wolfish features." Chenille confirmed.

"Just be still and be quiet." Creek advised. "Don't scare her off."

"She's beautiful." Poppy said.

Branch's chest swelled a little with pride and pointed to Rosiepuff. "My mother."

"That's your mother?" Poppy breathed.

Rosiepuff stared at Branch. She gestured for him to come closer to her. Branch obeyed, taking Rosiepuff's hand to guide her closer to Poppy. But, quite suddenly, Rosiepuff pulled Branch behind her and changed to her wolf form. She growled at Poppy, Creek, and the twins. Creek stood in front of the girls and put a hand on his sword.

"Mom, wait!" Branch pleaded. "They're not going to hurt us."

Rosiepuff looked back to Branch for only a moment and then glared at the strangers again. She didn't like them. She didn't like that they almost took Branch away from her.

"Branch?" Poppy called out nervously.

Branch stood in front of Rosiepuff. "Mother, please." Rosiepuff stared at Branch, and she reluctantly relaxed. Branch coaxed Poppy forward, and the pink troll held out her hand in an inviting gesture. Rosiepuff stretched her muzzle out to sniff Poppy's fingers. This little pink thing didn't smell that bad. In fact, she smelled like strawberries. Rosiepuff shifted to her half-wolf form and stood up straight. She analyzed Poppy with a critical stare. Poppy offered a friendly smile in return. Rosiepuff's stare softened, and she began to relax. Satin and Chenille slowly came up next, and Rosiepuff was rather amused by how much they cooed and gasped in awe at the sight of her.

Creek analyzed Rosiepuff closely. "Strong build, clearly a huntress. Protective nature. Hesitant towards strangers. Branch, what role does she play in the pack? Leader, yes? Maybe the head mother?"

"Mother, alpha's mate." Branch said, only really understanding half of what Creek said.

"That makes sense." Creek mused, stepping closer to Rosiepuff. "The matriarch."

Rosiepuff growled at Creek, and he took a few steps back again. Poppy marveled at the fangs she could see in Rosiepuff's mouth. "So this is what half-wolf form looks like."

Rosiepuff's ears twitched again. She looked all around, flexing her claws. "Mom?" Branch asked worriedly. This was his mother agitated about a dangerous presence.

"Run!" Rosiepuff ordered. Branch herded Poppy, the twins, and Creek away while Rosiepuff changed to her wolf form. Branch stopped when he heard a feline snarl, and he spun around. The others stopped as well. They were surprised to see Rosiepuff fighting with a juvenile felidala. Branch, on the other hand, was horrified when he realized it was Zina's cub. The felidala and wolf-troll snarled and growled as they fought. Zina's cub bit and clawed at the wolf-troll matriarch, causing her to snarl in pain. Branch ran in and tackled Zina's cub.

"Branch!" Poppy screamed.

Branch managed to haul Zina's cub off his mother and throw the cat aside. "Are you all right?" Branch asked worriedly.

Rosiepuff was back to her half-wolf form. "I'm fine." She growled in pain. Her worst injury was the scratch on her shoulder that caused trails of blood to run down her arm. She and Branch looked up to see Zina's cub coming in for another attack. The two of them readied for a new round of fighting.

Then, Creek came from the side and leaped into the air. He landed a firm kick to Zina's cub's side, knocking her to the ground. Creek drew his sword and stabbed it into the felidala before she could rise again. He stabbed her a few more times to make sure she was dead. Creek panted a little, wiping the blood specks off his face.

"Branch!" Poppy and her sisters ran to Branch and his mother.

Satin grimaced, trying to not look at Zina's cub. "Is she dead?"

"Yes." Creek said. "It's dead."

"Why did she attack Branch's mother?" Chenille wondered. "If she were hunting, wouldn't she go for a weaker member of the group?"

"Zina's cub." Branch growled. "Bad. No follow forest law."

"A wonderful pelt, though." Creek mused. "Why don't you all amuse yourselves while I skin it?"

"Skin it? Now?" Poppy grimaced.

"It won't take long." Creek said. "I can't leave without this."

"Fine." Satin sighed. "Branch, would your mother be all right with posing for a few drawings?" Branch conversed with his mother, and then nodded to the girls. Poppy pulled out a first-aid kit from Chenille's backpack and approached Rosiepuff. The matriarch growled at Poppy, but the pink troll spoke softly and soothingly until Rosiepuff allowed her to clean and dress her wound. Satin and Chenille pulled out their sketchbooks and began drawing the wolf-troll.

Branch glanced to Creek. He tilted his head in curiosity as Creek began cutting up Zina's cub. Branch tapped Poppy on the shoulder. "Creek eat felidala?"

"I doubt it." Poppy scoffed. "He'll probably just leave the meat and bones behind. He's skinning that cat."

"Skinning?" Branch repeated slowly, not understanding.

"He's going to take the felidala fur and skin like a trophy." Poppy explained. Branch blinked a few more times in confusion. Poppy thought about how to explain something that rather repulsed her. "Branch, what are you clothes made of? The clothes that wolf-trolls wear when they're not wolves?"

"Grass. Leaves. Flowers." Branch said.

"Well, our clothing is made from thread woven into fabric and then sewn together." Poppy said. "Sometimes it's made from animal fur. Not very often, though."

Branch looked back to where Creek meticulously separated the felidala fur from the bones and meat. "Creek make fur clothes?"

"No, he'll just take it as a trophy to mount on his wall." Poppy sighed.

"Trophy?" Branch repeated.

"Like a prize. Something he takes because he won the fight." Poppy said.

Branch frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. Of course, animals sometimes killed when fighting for territory, food, or even in cases like Branch's fight with Zina. But the law of the forest decreed that the animals who die in those fights must either be given proper burial or left for the scavengers of the forest to consume. Taking parts of the loser animal was not allowed. Branch tried to justify that Creek came from different customs, and so this might be seen as all right. Even so, it didn't feel right to him.

It took another hour for Creek to finish skinning Zina's cub and clean the pelt as best he could. Satin, Chenille, and Poppy had several drawings of Rosiepuff in her troll, half-wolf, and wolf forms. Rosiepuff even grew to like the girls. They were curious and bubbly in nature.

"It's getting late, ladies." Creek said as he rolled up his new pelt and strapped it to his backpack.

"It's only midafternoon." Poppy said.

"Yes, and the captain requested we return by dinnertime so we can do final checks before we set sail tomorrow morning." Creek reminded them.

"I wish we could see the whole pack." Chenille sighed.

Satin looked to Branch with her best puppy dog eyes. "Branch, do you think we can see the rest of your pack? Even for just a little while?"

Branch looked to his mother. "Can we?"

"No." Rosiepuff droned.

"Please?" Branch begged. "Just for a few minutes. They only want to draw pictures and interact with us. And Creek just saved us from Zina's cub. I think that warrants a look around the pack."

Rosiepuff hated to admit that Branch had a point. Zina's cub was just as horrible as her mother, and it was better she was no longer around to torment the forest creatures. Still, what were the odds Peppy would actually allow these strangers to get any closer to the pack?

"Let me ask Peppy and see if he'll consider it." Rosiepuff said. She changed to her wolf form and bounded off.

 _Already ahead of that._ Branch let his mother disappear. Then he scurried up a tree and did his best glerakal call.

Back with the pack, Cooper heard his brother's signal, and he galloped back to the pack. Suki saw Cooper coming and quickly joined him.

"Peppy!" Suki called as the pair approached their alpha. "Movement to the east."

"Any idea of what?" Peppy asked.

"Not sure." Cooper said. "Could be the strangers. Might be Zina's cub."

Peppy couldn't be sure he heard anything himself. Still, he had no reason to doubt Cooper's ears. "Cooper, watch over the pack until Rosiepuff gets back. Suki, you're with me. Let's investigate." Peppy and Suki changed to their wolf forms and darted into the forest. Cooper sighed in relief. Now that Peppy was distracted, Branch was all clear to come back with his friends.

A few minutes later, Branch and Rosiepuff arrived with Branch's friends. Cooper ran to greet them. The rest of the pack saw the strangers and hid in the trees for safety.

"Hey!" Cooper greeted. "What's up?"

"Just a quick trip." Rosiepuff said. "Where is Peppy?"

"He and Suki went to investigate a rogue pack near the river." Cooper said. "They'll be back later."

Rosiepuff nodded slowly. "Then we'll make this a very quick trip." She barked towards the trees.

"So, where are the wolf-trolls?" Poppy asked excitedly.

"Wait….." Branch said, smiling broadly.

Creek looked up, and his eyes widened. "Holy Troll Tree…"

Poppy, Satin, and Chenille looked up, and their jaws dropped. Peppy's pack had heard the barks of their alpha female, and they came to investigate. They stared at the strangers who arrived with a mix of cautiousness and wonder. Rosiepuff wasn't totally relaxed, but she gave off an air of calm that made the rest of the wolf-trolls more comfortable. Satin, Chenille, and Poppy almost couldn't believe their eyes. They waited over ten years for this moment. All their studies and preparation final led to them finally meeting one of the greatest species in the world.

High-pitched yips caught Poppy's attention, and she saw some of the wolf-troll puppies approaching her curiously. Poppy knelt down and smiled. "Hello."

One of the puppies changed to his wolf form and yipped playfully, his tail wagging. He bounced around excitedly to invite Poppy to play, only to trip over his own paws and fall into Poppy's lap.

Poppy giggled. "Well aren't you the playful one?"

Satin and Chenille giggled as some of the wolf-trolls approached them. The male wolf-trolls really liked the look of these pretty trolls, and the female wolf-trolls loved how groomed the twins kept their hair.

"You like it?" Satin asked as one of the female wolf-trolls inspected her tattoos. "Did them myself."

One of the male wolf-trolls, in his troll form, straightened up and smirked flirtatiously at Chenille. The blue twin laughed. "Ooh, what a handsome devil you are." She scratched the wolf-troll behind his ear, and the male collapsed from bliss.

Branch beamed happily. Everything was working out just as he planned. _Thank goodness._

"Would you look at this, Creek?" Satin called as one of the male wolf-trolls in his wolf form nuzzled his head against her hip. "I think they like us!"

"Congratulations, ladies!" Creek called back, not really paying attention. He focused more on the map in his hands, where he marked off the location of the pack. When he felt a tug on his map, he had to snatch it out of the hands of a curious wolf-troll pup. "Don't touch that!" He ducked when a wolf-troll reached for his hair. "Stop that!" He yelped when a playful wolf-troll juvenile jumped up and tackled him. Some of the other wolf-trolls took his map, pencil, and even his sword to examine. "Hey!" Creek pushed the juvenile off him and darted after the wolf-troll who stole his sword. "Don't play with that!"

Poppy cuddled with one of the wolf-troll puppies while a couple others played with her hair. Branch barked a few times, and the pups bounded over and tackled him. They wrestled with their older pack-mate, who laughed heartily at the play. Poppy loved seeing this soft side of Branch. He was pretty good with the pups.

She scooted closer to him as he and the puppies began howling. He seemed to be coaching them through the howls. "What are you doing?"

Branch gestured to the pups. "Practice wolfsong."

"What's a wolfsong?" Poppy asked.

"Song of wolf-troll." Branch said. "Heart of wolf-troll."

"Sounds special." Poppy said. "I'm not sure we have something like that." She petted one of the puppies, who snuggled up close to her. "I wish we could stay here. I wish I could understand your language and the way you live your life. All the studying in the world can't do that for me." She sighed, a little sadly. "My mother was supposed to be here with me and my sisters. She planned this trip herself. Studied wolf-trolls her entire life, and never got to see them." Poppy swallowed thickly. "I really miss her."

Branch cupped Poppy's cheek in his palm, and he guided the pink troll's eyes to his. He smiled softly. He knew one way to help Poppy feel better: he began to sing.

 _Why do your eyes not shine?  
Who took away that spark?  
You're beautiful, wonderful  
Show the world you'll make your mark_

Poppy was rather surprised that Branch sang in her language. But the song completely entrapped her attention, and she listened closely. Branch held Poppy's hands in his own and gave them a gentle squeeze.

 _Where is that smile that I love?  
The sparkle in your eye?  
You enchant me every day  
Make me feel that I can fly_

 _When we danced in the moonlight, it took my breath away  
The stars couldn't outshine the light in your eyes  
Everything you do makes me feel more alive  
For those reasons and more, I love you_

The blush Poppy felt made her entire face turn a few shades darker. She joined in the song. Branch and Poppy continued to sing their now-duet, to the awe of the wolf-trolls around them.

 _When we danced in the moonlight, it took my breath away  
The stars couldn't outshine the light in your eyes  
Everything you do makes me feel more alive  
For those reasons and more, I love you_

When the duet finished, the wolf-trolls howled and cheered excitedly. All except Rosiepuff, who stared with a conflicted gaze. She imagined a moment like this when Branch was a pup. She never thought it would be like this.

Poppy laughed. "What's all the fuss about?"

"Poppy finished Branch's wolfsong." Branch explained. "Sign of soulmates."

Poppy gasped softly. "Really? Wow. That's….that's so amazing….."

Branch's grin stretched from ear to ear. "Means Poppy can stay with Branch."

Poppy's smile disappeared. "Stay? What?"

"Poppy soulmate." Branch said. "Stay with Branch."

Poppy sighed in frustration. "Branch, I can't stay here! I don't belong in this forest!"

The pups backed away, confused and worried by Poppy's reaction. Branch's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Poppy belongs with Branch."

It broke Poppy's heart to hear him say that, because her heart broke even more with what she said next. "But I don't belong in this forest. And you don't belong here either! You belong with the other rainbow trolls in the Troll Tree. You're one of us! You're not a wolf-troll!"

Branch recoiled a little, and then frowned. "Branch wolf-troll!"

"You are not!" Poppy said firmly.

"Am too!" Branch said just as firmly back.

"Are not!"

"Am too!"

"Are not!"

"Am too!" Branch growled and barked, making Poppy jump back. Branch frowned in determination. "Branch wolf-troll."

"Really?" Poppy scoffed. "Then transform."

"Cannot transform. Still wolf-troll." Branch said.

Poppy sighed heavily. "Branch…"

"Poppy, I love you." Branch said. "Stay. Please."

Poppy's eyes filled with tears. "I can't, Branch. I just can't. You may belong here, but I don't. I don't belong in this wonderful forest the same way you do." She swallowed. "But if I could—"

"Peppy, wait!" Suki's voice called from the forest. "I'm sure it's nothing!"

"Uh oh." Branch paled.

Wolf-form Peppy burst from the tall grass, but his snarls abruptly halted when he saw his pack mingling with the strangers. Very rarely did Peppy freeze like that. He thought he was keeping these strangers from his pack, yet here they were _actually touching the wolf-trolls under his care._ Poppy and her sisters jumped back at the sight of the fearsome alpha. The wolf-trolls didn't move, waiting for Peppy's reaction. Rosiepuff held her breath. Suki tumbled out of the grass after him, looking flustered. She clearly wasn't able to keep Peppy away as long as she thought.

"Peppy….." Branch started, desperate to calm the alpha. "Peppy, I can explain this."

"Let go of that!" Creek growled as he tried to jerk his sword scabbard out of a juvenile wolf-troll's teeth. Peppy looked just in time to see Creek grab the wolf-troll by the scruff and roughly shove the pup into a tree. The alpha's protective instincts kicked into overdrive, and he lunged for Creek. Creek heard the growling, and he held up his sword and scabbard just in time for Peppy to tackle him. Creek's sword was the only thing keeping Peppy's teeth from sinking into the troll's neck.

"NO!" Branch shot forward and shoved Peppy off of Creek. As they crashed to the ground, Creek backed up to Poppy, Satin, and Chenille. They watched with terror as Peppy grabbed Branch's hair in his teeth and threw him aside. Then the alpha set his sights on the rainbow trolls. Before he could attack them, Branch rammed into him.

"Branch!" Poppy screamed.

"Go!" Branch shouted as he fought to get Peppy off him. "Go now!"

"Come on, Poppy!" Satin and Chenille grabbed their sister and ran, Creek close behind them.

Branch and Peppy didn't stop their fight, no matter how much Rosiepuff shouted at them. Peppy slashed his claws and snapped his teeth while Branch whipped his hair across the alpha's snout. He even wrapped his hair around Peppy's neck to better pull him to the ground. In response, Peppy twisted around and clamped his teeth onto Branch's arm. Branch screamed in pain and drew his knife from its holster on his hip. He punched Peppy's snout to get him to let go, and he slashed his knife across Peppy's face. Peppy and Branch lunged for each other again.

Quite suddenly, a green mass appeared between the two fighters: Rosiepuff in her wolf form. She grabbed Peppy's scruff in her teeth and threw him aside before kicking her back legs and sending Branch tumbling. She snarled at both of them, to the shock of the pack.

Branch looked down to the bite marks in his arm. Peppy never laid a hand on him before, and now he just _bit_ him. Branch's fingers clenched around his knife. That's when he noticed the blood on his knife, and he stared at Peppy.

The alpha was in his troll form now, leaning heavily on his cane as he stood. He put a hand to his cheek, where Branch's blade left a shallow mark. When he looked at his palm, he saw it stained with blood. Peppy glared at Branch with more fury than anyone thought he could possess.

Branch dropped his knife in his shock. "Peppy….I'm sorry, I—"

"You were supposed to protect our pack, our _family_. Instead, you betrayed us." Peppy growled. "I always knew you would never be one of us."

Branch's breathing started getting faster. He looked to his pack-mates. Those who actually did look at him stared in shock and horror. Branch shook his head slowly, still unable to grasp what he just did. He turned and ran into the forest.

Peppy shakily walked off in the other direction. The pack didn't dare follow, except for Rosiepuff. She changed to her half-wolf form as she caught up. Her mate sat himself down on the ground and leaned against the root of a tall tree. He breathed in a meditative manner to calm himself.

"You can't send him away." Rosiepuff said.

"Rosie—" Peppy started.

"I won't let you." Rosiepuff growled. "He's _my_ pup!"

"He's hardly a pup anymore." Peppy said. "He's grown, and he's figuring out who he is. Doesn't he deserve the freedom to choose where he goes? Doesn't he deserve to finally know the truth?"

Rosiepuff's fists clenched. This was the truth she didn't want to hear nor confront. "Peppy, please."

Peppy stood and pulled his mate into a comforting embrace. "He's _your_ pup. So I will not force him to leave. But you need to think about what he wants, and what he needs to know."

Rosiepuff sighed shakily. "All right."


	18. Betrayal

**Chapter Eighteen – Betrayal**

No matter how much she tried, Rosiepuff couldn't make the pain in her heart go away as she went to find Branch. She eventually did find him on a tree limb high above her, and her first impulse was to go comfort him. But if she did that first, she'd forget about what she had to do. Rosiepuff climbed up the tree and slowly approached Branch.

"What is wrong with me?" Branch whimpered. His face clearly showed how lost he felt.

Rosiepuff put a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me. There's something you need to see."

Desperate for answers, Branch followed his mother through the forest without a word. Rosiepuff didn't speak either as she led Branch back to the very tree where she found him. She had only been back there once before, and that was to cover the bodies of the rainbow troll couple with a blanket and hold a small funeral for them. Now, the tree pods were covered with vines and other greenery. Dust coated the inside of the structures. The pods held up pretty well despite being covered in vines.

Rosiepuff went to the largest pod and gestured for Branch to go inside. She had no words for him now. She just had to let him look for himself. Branch had stared curiously at the other pods the entire climb. His eyes traveled over the entirety of the largest pod as he stepped inside. It felt so familiar. Seeing the inside tickled at something in his memories, but he just couldn't place where. He saw the blanket on the floor and lifted it up. He jumped back when he saw skeletons, but gathered his courage to look again. After so many years, the bones were dry. The clothing looked like what Poppy, her sisters, and Creek wore. This, too, looked familiar. He could hear voices. A male's voice, much different from Peppy's, speaking softly and tenderly. A female's voice, different than Rosiepuff's, singing him a lullaby.

"Is this where you found me?" Branch asked. Rosiepuff only nodded. Branch found a golden heart necklace on one of the skeletons, and he unclipped it from the skeleton's neck. He discovered the heart was a locket, and only knew it was one because Poppy wore one tucked under her collar. He opened the locket and saw two pictures: one of a male troll and the other of a female. They looked so familiar. "That's….these are my parents, aren't they?" Branch stared off into space. "They're…I'm….."

"You deserved to know the truth, and I should've told you long ago." Rosiepuff said. "No matter what you decide, Branch, just choose what will make you happy. I will accept whatever decision you make." She turned and exited the pod, jumping to a nearby tree branch.

Branch had to sit down from his shock. This revelation rocked his world. He wasn't a wolf-troll. He spent almost his entire life with the wolf-trolls, and nobody ever told him the truth. That's why he could never transform. That's why he was smaller than his pack-mates and had longer hair. That's why he had those hair abilities and turned grey when he was depressed.

Now what would he do? He was born a rainbow troll but raised a wolf-troll. He felt most at home in the forest. But he loved Poppy. But he loved his pack. But he did attack the alpha.

Branch groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. _What do I do?_

* * *

Rosiepuff stayed outside while Branch mulled over the situation. She had to prepare herself for the possibility that Branch would choose to go back with the rainbow trolls. There was a likelihood that Branch would stay with the pack. With some work, Rosiepuff could help the pack get over the snafu of Peppy and Branch's fight. No matter what happened, she had to accept it.

Rosiepuff heard movement and she slowly turned around, apprehensive of Branch's decision. Branch still held his mother's locket, and he clipped it around his neck. He stared at his mother.

"Poppy's ship leaves tomorrow." Branch said. "I plan to be there. But I won't be gone forever. I'll come back and visit as often as I can."

Rosiepuff nodded in understanding. She walked up to Branch, straightened out his vest, and smoothed out his hair. "Treat her well and be a gentleman, okay?"

Branch nodded, and he hugged his mother. She returned his embrace, tears forming in her eyes and falling down her cheeks. "Never forget this: you're mine, mine to me. No matter where you go or what they may call you, you will always be my son."

Hot tears built up behind Branch's eyes. "And you will always be in my heart. _You_ are my mother, and the only one I have ever known. And I can't thank you enough for making me who I am." He pulled Rosiepuff into another tight hug. Rosiepuff held on for as long as she could, and reluctantly allowed Branch to turn and walk down to the bridge and into the forest.

Branch's heart felt heavy. He couldn't help but think of Poppy's words: that it would be very hard to come back to Darknem. Regardless, Branch would find a way to come back. He couldn't just leave his mother and pack behind forever.

A mournful howl echoed over the land, and Branch turned to see a familiar green wolf up on the treehouse porch. Rosiepuff was sending him a farewell. Branch howled back. He forced himself to turn around and keep walking.

Rosiepuff's ears drooped, and she couldn't stop her tears. "Goodbye, Branch."

* * *

Moxie allowed Poppy, Satin, Chenille, and Creek to wait for Branch until noon the next day. But they would have to leave by one or else they would run behind schedule. Poppy managed to convince Creek and the sailor in the rowboat to wait for another hour.

Creek looked to the ship as the horn sounded yet again. "Captain Moxie is getting antsy, Poppy. We really should be going." He readjusted the felidala fur tied around his shoulders like a cape.

Poppy stared at the trees hopefully. "If we just give him a few minutes—"

"Poppy, maybe he decided to stay." Satin said.

"And we should respect that decision." Chenille added.

Poppy sighed sadly. She turned to join her sisters.

"Poppy!"

The pink troll froze and spun around. She smiled broadly when Branch bounded out of the trees on all fours. He skidded to a halt, stood up straight, and brushed off his vest. Poppy jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"I was so worried you wouldn't make it." Poppy sighed.

Branch smiled. "Branch stays with Poppy."

"That's so great!" Chenille squealed happily as she and Satin hugged Branch.

"You can stay with us!" Satin suggested.

"We can sort that out on the boat, ladies!" Creek urged. "Come along." The girls ushered Branch onto the boat, and Creek pushed it out before hopping in. The sailor troll in the boat began rowing out to the larger ship anchored farther out to sea.

They were already far out when Cooper and Suki burst from the forest. "Branch, wait!" Cooper shouted.

"Branch!" Suki called.

Branch heard his pack-mates and turned to the beach. He waved to them, and then howled to say "goodbye." Suki turned to her wolf form and returned the howl.

Cooper sniffled. "We didn't even get to say goodbye."

"We were supposed to stop him!" Suki moaned. "I told you we should've stopped for directions!"

"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" Cooper asked.

Suki changed to her half-wolf form and rubbed her eyes dry. "Maybe…..I certainly hope so…I _really_ hope so….."

"Can we stay?" Cooper asked. "Watch the boat leave so we know he's safe?"

"Yeah." Suki didn't see the logic in Cooper's reasoning, but she didn't want to leave either.

Meanwhile, the girls couldn't stop talking excitedly about everything Branch would see and do at the Troll Tree.

"You're going to love the Troll Tree!" Poppy gushed. "You'll meet so many trolls, and all of them will want to know your story!"

"We're writing a book all about you!" Satin said.

" _Branch of the Wolf-Trolls._ " Chenille said.

"You'll write the story with me?" Poppy requested.

Branch nodded. "Stay with Poppy."

Poppy blushed. "Yes. With Poppy." The rowboat arrived at the ship, and Poppy and her sisters climbed up first.

Branch glanced to the fur of Zina's cub. "Creek, why you wear fur?"

"It makes me feel good. Makes me feel like a king." Creek said.

"Creek is king at his home?" Branch asked.

"I'll be as rich as one pretty soon." Creek said.

"Rich?" Branch questioned.

"You'll figure it out someday." Creek assured.

Branch shrugged and climbed the ladder to the ship. He got to the railing and crouched on it. He looked back towards the forest. His home for over twenty years. He was going to a whole new world by visiting the Troll Tree. A large part of him wanted Branch to run back to the forest and to his pack. But Poppy was waiting for him. So he sighed slowly and hopped onto the deck of the ship.

Something wasn't right. The trolls of the ship eyed him maliciously as they went about their business. Branch went looking for Poppy, but he felt the hairs on his neck bristle. He didn't like something about this situation. Where were Poppy, Satin, and Chenille? He saw metal boxes with bars. He saw chains with shackles. Some of the mean-looking trolls inched closer to him.

"Branch!" Poppy screamed.

Branch whipped around and saw a group of trolls dragged Poppy and her sisters towards a square hole in the deck. Poppy screamed for him again, clearly terrified. Branch's protective instincts almost overwhelmed him. He went on all fours and charged for the trolls hurting his soulmate. He jumped over trolls and even slid between legs of trolls who tried to stop him. He even shot up the netting nearby to get to the sail. He glared at the trolls below, snarling. Poppy screamed again, and Branch saw her, Satin, Chenille, Captain Moxie, and several other trolls being yanked down below deck.

Branch crouched on the boom of the sail. He pushed off it and lunged down towards Poppy. This time, two trolls grabbed Branch with their hair, and they slammed Branch _hard_ into the mast pole. Spots of light danced across Branch's vision. He slumped to the ground. The trolls were on him before he could react, and they painfully twisted his arms behind his back. Branch fought back, and even jerked his head around and bit into one of the troll's arms. The troll growled in pain and grabbed an emergency axe from the wall. He raised it, prepared to impale the blade into Branch's head, when an arrow flew over and ricocheted off the blade and jolted him to a stop.

"What is going on up here?" Creek demanded, stowing his crossbow.

"Creek!" Branch shouted. "Help!"

Creek stared at Branch musingly. "Help you with what?"

Branch stared at Creek in confusion. _What?_

Creek put a hand under Branch's chin and roughly jerked his head up. "Is the adorable little wild troll in my way?"

It didn't take long for Branch to figure it out. He growled and tried to lunge for Creek. But Creek planted his fist into Branch's stomach and knocked the wind out of him. Branch hugged his stomach and fell to the ground.

"Sorry for the roughness, Mate." Creek shrugged. "But I need to put your pack in their cages, and you're in my way."

Branch was still struggling to get up. "W-why?"

"Why?" Creek chuckled as he knelt down to Branch's eye-level. "For a hundred gold pieces a head. Just think: wolf-trolls, the newest and greatest pets to hit the market. Or maybe even wolf-troll fur coats? These filthy beasts are going to make me rich." He mockingly patted Branch on the head. "I really do have you to thank for that, Branch. Very good doggy."

Branch jerked his head away. But he couldn't deny Creek's words. If he hadn't led Creek and the girls to the pack, this wouldn't be happening.

"Lock him up with the others." Creek ordered.

Two of the trolls grabbed Branch's arms and began dragging him towards the brig where they locked the rest of the crew. Branch seethed with rage, and he let out a furious shout.

That shout was so strong it echoed through the air and right to the forest. Thanks to Cooper's large ears, he heard it perfectly.

"That was Branch!" Cooper gasped.

Suki jumped, lost in her thoughts. "What?"

"Branch is in trouble!" Cooper said.

"Whoa, whoa." Suki said calmly. "Are you sure? What if—" She saw something coming towards them, and she realized it was another rowboat. "Wait, hide! Get in the bushes!" She and Cooper ducked into the foliage. Several minutes later, the rowboat came ashore. they saw that lavender troll Branch brought to the pack. A group of trolls joined him, and they had a bunch of cages on their boat with them. The trolls dragged the cages into the forest.

"That doesn't look good." Suki groaned. "Okay, I'm in. Where do you think Branch will be?"

Cooper turned towards the ship. "There. Let's go!"

* * *

 _WHAM!_

That was the tenth time Branch rammed his full body weight into the bars of the cell. He was beyond trying to find a logical escape from the dungeon below deck. At least he stopped trying to smash a hole into the hull, which would've sunk the ship and drowned them. All he did was ram into and kick his feet against the barred door. He even tried to rip the door off with his hair; but when that didn't work, he went right back to slamming himself into the door in his desperation and anger.

Poppy, Satin, Chenille, and the crew watched with shock and pity. None of them had every witnessed such fury before. Poppy and her sisters were most concerned. Branch would only hurt himself if he kept this up.

"Branch, stop!" Poppy shouted over Branch's grunts of effort. "You can't get out that way!"

Branch didn't listen as he body-slammed the door again. When he bounced off and hit the ground, he started darting around on all fours. His breathing was borderline hyperventilating as he searched for a way out. Satin and Chenille shared a sorrowful look. Branch appeared like a desperate wild animal, just as his pack-mates would look when Creek got a hold of them.

Moxie found a rope and pulled it through the bars of the cage. She made a lasso and quickly looped it around Branch's foot. She yanked him to the ground and bound his wrists and ankles together, despite his struggling.

"What are you doing?" Satin demanded.

"He'll kill himself if he keeps doing that." Moxie said. "I don't know about you, but I'd like his kind of muscle on my side when we do manage to break out."

"But you can't tie him up like that!" Chenille protested. "Look at him!"

"I am!" Moxie snapped. "Look, I haven't had the chance to interact with him like you have. But look at him! He's wild and dangerous and—"

"Our friend." Poppy said. "And we're not going to treat him like an animal.

Moxie analyzed the girls' looks, and then sighed in defeat. She untied Branch. By then, he had calmed down a bit more. He moved to a corner and curled up in a ball.

Poppy walked over and knelt in front of the wild troll. "Branch? Branch, I'm so sorry."

"No." Branch murmured. "My fault. Betrayed pack." He buried his face in his arms. _Peppy was right. He was right about everything._

"Those poor, magnificent creatures." Satin sighed. "They'll die miserable in those cages."

Chenille growled in frustration. "It's not right!" She kicked the wall in anger. "Are we really just going to sit here and let this happen?"

"Well unless you have a bright idea to get us out, I don't see us being able to do anything about it." Poppy scoffed.

"You do realize Creek will kill us to make sure we stay out of the way?" Moxie pointed out.

"We have to think of something!" Satin agreed with her twin. "Maybe we can call for reinforcements!"

"From where?" Poppy demanded. "The forest?"

Everyone jumped at the sound of a loud howl that sounded right above them.

Branch jolted upright, his ears erect. "Suki?"

On the deck of the ship, the trolls weren't having the greatest luck with the intruders onboard. Suki was in her wolf form, tackling the trolls and nipping at their heels as they ran away. Cooper kicked and head-butted any troll that came near. Creek took most of his thug crew with him to capture the wolf-trolls, so Suki and Cooper didn't have to waste too much time taking out the trolls left on the ship. Once the thugs were unconscious, Suki shifted to her troll form and ran below deck to unlock the door and free everyone down below.

"Thanks, guys!" Branch said.

Suki suddenly pulled Branch into a hug. "I thought we'd never see you again! And I just want you to know that I love you so much and I never want to see anything happen to you because you're my brother and—"

Cooper covered Suki's mouth. "I think he gets the picture." He smiled at Branch. "What's the plan, bro?"

"Help Poppy and her sisters. And meet me on shore!" Branch ordered. He bounded up the stairs, across the deck, and to the edge of the ship. To everyone else's shock, Branch leaped over the edge and dived straight into the water.


	19. Branch vs Creek

**Chapter Nineteen – Branch vs. Creek**

As night settled over the forest, Peppy went about his usual routine of walking through the pack and ensuring everyone would sleep soundly. He stayed in his troll form for now, leaning on his cane as he walked. Some of the wolf-trolls nodded to their alpha as he passed. Most of the pack already settled down to sleep. Peppy's ears twitched when he heard something like thunder, but he shrugged it off as the incoming storm. He scanned his pack and nodded in satisfaction to see everyone accounted for and peaceful.

All but one.

Peppy's eyes traveled to his mate, who sat alone on a tree root and stared off into space. It hurt her greatly to let go of her pup. It wasn't unusual for a wolf-troll pack to separate, or for a couple members to leave and start a pack of their own. But there was a high chance Rosiepuff would never see Branch again. Peppy wasn't a fool. He could see how much pain that caused her. He touched the scratch on his cheek, where Branch's blade left its mark. Though angry with Branch, Peppy wondered if this whole debacle could've been avoided if the pup simply knew the truth in the beginning.

Rosiepuff was numb to most things around her. She hadn't thought about how much her life would change as Branch got older. She thought they could go about their lives and never find another troll like Branch. Now he was off in a new world and might never come back.

Something rustled in the bushes, and Rosiepuff's ear twitched. She stared at the foliage, searching for any animal. She shifted to her half-wolf form, but still didn't even smell anything. She slid off the root and ventured closer. Only the sound of the jungle could be heard: birds, bats, and other nocturnal animals. Rosiepuff stepped through the bushes and still saw nothing.

"Branch?" Rosiepuff asked hopefully.

A rope shot from the darkness and a loop tightened around her neck. While she struggled to escape, Creek and a couple of his thugs emerged. One of the thugs held the rope to keep Rosiepuff in place.

"Easy, now." Creek said. "We want this one unmarred."

Rosiepuff growled at him. She changed to her wolf form and twisted her head around to bite the rope. The rope broke from the force and sharpness of her teeth, and she ran.

"Follow her!" Creek ordered.

Rosiepuff didn't want to lead Creek and his goons to the pack, but she knew she couldn't fight them alone. She barked to alert the pack. Peppy and several other wolf-trolls heard her, and the parents corralled their children to safety. Rosiepuff burst from the foliage. A second later, a net followed Rosiepuff and entangled her. Shouts came from the trees.

Peppy didn't even need to give the order. His pack turned tail and ran for their lives, save for the fighters who came to Peppy's side. Peppy changed to his wolf form and led the charge of fighter wolf-trolls. He went straight towards his mate. What he didn't expect was a weighted net coming down from above. The net snared Peppy and tangled around his legs. The fighter wolf-trolls had to fight off the trolls before they could help their alpha.

But while half of the trolls battled with the pack warriors, the rest of Creek's thugs went after the pack. They smashed flash pods into the ground to startle the wolf-trolls towards traps and cages. The wolf-trolls were all in a panic. None of them knew which was the best way to run and hide. A couple of Creek's thugs grabbed Rosiepuff and shoved her into a cage.

The fighter wolf-trolls weren't doing so well. It was seeing his mate accosted and thrown into a cage that sent Peppy over the edge. In his fury, he tore free from the net and charged forward to save one of his fighters from being killed. Then he charged forward to the cage that held his mate, which was guarded by two of the troll thugs. Peppy grabbed one of the thugs in his teeth and threw him aside. The second thug swung a crowbar. Peppy quickly changed to his half-wolf form and caught the length of iron quite easily. Before the thug could even gulp fearfully, Peppy threw him into a tree. When Peppy tried to open the cage, however, several of the trolls looped ropes around his limbs and neck and jerked him away. It took the full strength of six trolls to tie Peppy down, and even then he still fought to get free.

Creek stepped forward, loading an arrow into his crossbow. "Well, what do we have here?"

Peppy locked a scowl onto Creek, his breathing rough and heavy. _I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance._

"I think this one is needs to be stuffed." Creek announced. He aimed his arrow directly for Peppy's heart.

The alpha wolf-troll didn't dare show fear. But though he was prepared for death, he feared what would happen to his pack.

Just before Creek could pull the trigger, a howl resonated from the trees. Creek and his thugs looked up in confusion. Peppy and his pack perked up when they recognized the howl.

"No." Creek paled a little. "It can't be!"

Branch swung down from a tree and kicked Creek hard enough to send him flying backwards. Branch landed on all fours, only on the ground for a moment before lunging into the nearest troll and tackling him to the ground. He grabbed another troll with his hair and threw him aside. With those two gone, Peppy could break free again and help Branch take care of the other four trolls who captured him. It didn't take long for the rest of the thugs to come help, and they surrounded Branch and Peppy with their weapons drawn. Peppy and Branch stood back-to-back, analyzing the fight.

Creek growled as he marched forward, smoothing out his hair. "You still think you're one of them, Branch? Well, you're not!"

Branch growled in response.

"Look at you! You're not a wolf-troll. You're not even a rainbow troll!" Creek shouted. "You're just a hideous freak of nature!" He aimed his crossbow and fired for Branch.

Before the arrow could hit its mark, Peppy changed to his wolf form and caught the arrow in his teeth. With a quick chomp, the arrow snapped to pieces. Creek tried to load another arrow, but a rumbling sound made him pause. The flashes of lightning from an incoming storm lit up the stampede of forest creatures coming to the wolf-trolls' aide. A wingdingle flew overhead and swooped down to snatch trolls. A herd of llamas, a couple crocodiles, and even another wolf-troll pack arrived to frighten and fight the trolls. Creek scrambled out of the way of Cooper, Suki, Satin, Chenille, and Poppy charging towards him. Once safely aside, Creek could pound his fists into the ground in frustration.

Peppy changed to his half-wolf form and stared at Branch. "You came back."

Branch grinned. "I came home."

Peppy smiled incredulously. Then, he shoved Branch aside to punch a troll sneaking up on them. "Warriors!" Peppy barked. "Don't give up now! For the pack!" The fighter wolf-trolls of Peppy's pack barked and howled as they ran into battle. Peppy looked to Branch. "They can hold them off. We need to free the rest of the pack."

Branch nodded firmly. "Lead the way."

Once more, Suki proved herself as good a fighter as she was a hunter. She even stayed in her troll form and punched and kicked several trolls. When two came charging for her, she jumped and flipped to avoid them and cause the two thugs to run into each other. Suki landed on her two feet, but one of the thugs grabbed her hair and yanked her backwards. The thug raised a knife to plunge it into Suki's stomach, only for Cooper to charge forward and kick the thug away. The llama herd chased several thugs away and back to their boats. The wingdingle overhead would grab thugs and drop them into their own cages. The crocodiles wanted to eat some of the thugs, but decided the mean trolls wouldn't taste very good. So they simply chased the thugs away and into the forest. The newly arrived wolf-troll pack assisted Peppy's fighters to keep the thugs from capturing anyone else. Meanwhile, Peppy and Branch worked together to free the pack and send them off to find someplace safe to hide.

Creek crawled up over a root and saw what Peppy and Branch were doing. He turned to a couple of his trolls. "Take as many animals to the boat as you can." The trolls nodded and picked up Rosiepuff's cage. Creek loaded his crossbow, eyeing Branch and Peppy. He slunk into the shadows of the forest.

Rosiepuff slammed herself against the bars of the cage. "Let me out of here right now!" She growled. Of course, her efforts didn't do much beyond rock the cage until it and the trolls carrying it fell over.

"Oh that does it!" one of the thugs growled, drawing his sword. "This'll be much easier when it's dead."

Luckily for Rosiepuff, her struggles caught the attention of Poppy. While Satin and Chenille used their hair to attack the trolls, Poppy stretched out her hair to a tree limb and swung over towards Branch's mother. Her kick nailed the head of the thug holding the sword, and he collapsed to the ground unconscious. Poppy landed on her feet and spun around as the second thug marched towards her. But then he froze and looked past Poppy. Poppy turned and smiled at the sight of the saru swinger monkey troop.

The baby saru swinger screeched and pointed as though to say "Charge!" The saru swingers snarled and howled as they chased the thug back to the boat. The baby hopped onto Poppy's shoulder and gave her a quick kiss before he left. Now, the saru swingers were only about as big as the troll children back home, but Poppy knew these monkeys had sharp teeth and claws.

"I guess that's what I get for helping the little guy." Poppy heard metal rattling, and she saw Rosiepuff desperately trying to get the cage door open. Poppy rushed over. "Hang on. I'll get you out of there." She pushed and pulled on the door to the cage, but the heavy door was clamped shut.

Rosiepuff looked past Poppy to see the first thug coming up behind her with a crowbar. "Look out!"

Poppy spun around and flinched. But Branch came to her rescue when he jumped down from a tree and landed on the thug. The crowbar was thrown into the air, and Branch caught it.

"Oh, perfect. Thanks." Poppy took the crowbar and, with Branch's help, wrenched open the cage. Rosiepuff leaped out and hugged Branch tightly.

"You're back." Rosiepuff sighed happily.

Branch shook his head and smiled at his mother. "I'm _home_." Rosiepuff beamed proudly.

Suddenly, an arrow grazed Branch's arm and impaled Rosiepuff's shoulder. Both of them fell to the ground in their pain. Poppy involuntarily let out a scream from her shock.

Peppy spun around at the scream. He saw an arrow sticking out of Rosiepuff's shoulder, dangerously close to her heart. Her teeth were clenched and her eyes squeezed shut in pain. Branch also sported a wound from the arrow as he and Poppy tried to help Rosiepuff stand. Peppy followed the path the arrow had taken to see Creek was the culprit. In fact, he loaded another arrow into his crossbow to finish the job.

Growling, Peppy charged for Creek to take him down once and for all. Creek saw the alpha coming, and he quickly redirected his shot and fired the arrow. But he missed, and Peppy tackled him.

White-hot pain exploded in Peppy's chest, and Creek easily kicked him off.

Branch's eyes widened. He didn't waste a second rushing to his alpha's side. Rosiepuff and Poppy stared in horror. Branch approached Peppy, locking his icy blue eyes onto Peppy's dark hazel ones. Peppy winced and clutched his chest. Branch's gaze went downward, and he saw blood. A lot of blood coming from the stab wound just below Peppy's heart.

Unbridled fury built up inside Branch, and he locked a vehement glare onto Creek. Shouting angrily, Branch lunged for him. But Creek was prepared, and he shot another arrow that narrowly missed Branch's head. Branch ducked out of the way and darted off into the darkness.

"Where are you going, coward?" Creek taunted.

"Creek!" Poppy shouted, grabbing his arm.

Creek shoved Poppy aside, causing her to hit her head on a rock and be knocked unconscious. He set his sights for Branch. "I love a challenge. After I get rid of you, rounding up that pack of mongrels will be a piece of cake!"

Branch knew he couldn't fight Creek in the forest. Too many places for Creek to hide and shoot at him. Branch had to find someplace where Creek couldn't hide as easily. Somewhere he would be forced to fight. Scanning the forest, Branch saw a small mountain close by. He immediately ran for it. One of Creek's arrows nearly hit him, but he kept running.

"No running now, Branch!" Creek chuckled darkly. He ran after Branch and followed him right up into the rocks of the mountain. He tracked the shadowy figure of Branch halfway up the small mountain.

When he stopped on a clear flat space, Creek loaded his crossbow and scanned the area. His confident smile immediately disappeared when he saw no sign of Branch. Lightning flashed and thunder growled in the clouds. Creek remained on high alert for his challenger. Things were too quiet for his liking.

Out of nowhere, Branch came from above and landed on Creek's shoulders. They tumbled down to another ledge, still grappling with each other. Creek dropped his crossbow in the fall. He got an arm free and punched the arrow wound on Branch's shoulder. Branch shouted in pain, and the distraction allowed Creek to twist Branch over so he was on top. Creek wrapped his hands around Branch's throat, ignoring Branch's nails digging into his skin. Branch gasped and choked, but he managed to get his feet under Creek's stomach and kick up to get the troll off him. Creek hit the rocks and then the pathway. He looked up and saw his crossbow sitting on a rock just in front of him. He reached for the crossbow, only for Branch to grab his foot and threw him into the rock wall. Before Creek could lunge again, Branch grabbed the crossbow with his foot and kicked it up into his hands. He spun around and jutted the point of the arrow under Creek's chin.

Creek froze, then smirked. "Go on. Shoot me."

Branch's glare faltered as he stared at the weapon in his hands. He knew how to use it. Why didn't he shoot?

"You're a warrior, aren't you?" Creek laughed mockingly.

Branch growled and jerked the arrow closer. Creek's laughs stopped, and he raised an eyebrow at Branch. He jumped when Branch pulled the trigger, and the arrow ricocheted off the rock wall. Creek frantically patted his neck and found only a small scratch where the arrow grazed his skin. He stared at Branch incredulously.

"Not one like you!" Branch swung the crossbow and smashed it against the ground, shattering it. Creek glared murderously, drew his sword, and lunged once more. Branch jumped to the collection of boulders to avoid him. Creek darted after the wild troll, his sword ready. The two of them jumped across boulders, Branch dodging strikes half the time. Branch jumped up to a larger flat space and turned to stand his ground. This is where it would all end.

Creek lunged with his sword raised. Branch ducked under the blade and planted his fist into Creek's stomach. Creek growled in pain and swung his sword again. Branch grabbed Creek's wrist and punched him in the mouth. Creek responded by kicking Branch's stomach and causing him to fall backwards. When Creek tried to stab his sword into Branch, the blue troll rolled aside and then tackled Creek to the ground. Creek shoved Branch off and slashed his sword. This time, the tip left a shallow cut in Branch's chest. Another swing, and Branch dodged the strike. Then he clamped his teeth down onto Creek's hand and forced him to drop his sword. Branch grabbed Creek with his hair and slammed him into a boulder. Branch shot out his hair and wrapped it around Creek's throat, pulling it tight. Creek choked and strained for a proper breath, clawing at Branch's hair around his neck. Branch stood firm, his teeth grinding together. Creek could hardly get a breath in now. He fell to his knees, still fighting.

Then, Branch exhaled slowly. The glare didn't leave his eyes, even when he retracted his hair. Creek inhaled deeply, coughing and holding his abused throat. Branch stared at Creek as he tried to control his breathing. A large part of Branch wanted to kill Creek for what he did. Creek put his pack in danger. He hurt Rosiepuff and Peppy. He tried to kill Branch. It only made sense for Branch to kill him.

"Why…why didn't you finish me?" Creek rasped.

Branch's gaze didn't falter this time. "Forest law, all follow."

Creek glared a little. Then, his eyes traveled past Branch and he gasped fearfully. Branch slowly turned to see a familiar quartet of wolf-form wolf-trolls: one golden yellow, one green, one reddish-pink, and one silvery grey.

"Silver." Branch nodded in greeting.

"Branch." Silver nodded back. He and his children stood in a semi-circle behind Branch, their eyes locked onto Creek.

"Your pack is safe, Branch." Mandy said. "Everyone is accounted for and the monsters who tried to catch them are gone."

"There's just one more loose end to tie up." Aspen snarled at Creek, who flinched.

"Just say the word, Little Brother." Rudy's hackles raised. "And we'll take care of this rat."

Branch glared at Creek. "No."

Silver, Mandy, Aspen, and Rudy stared at him in surprise. "We protect our own very closely, Branch." Silver reminded him. "This monster tried to kill you."

"Besides, we could go for a late-night snack." Rudy added.

"He will return home in chains and shamed." Branch said. "That's enough of a punishment." He walked up to Creek and grabbed him by his hair, jerking him up a little. Branch made sure to speak in Creek's language. "You come back, you die." He shoved Creek to the ground, turned on his heel, and started walking away.

Creek scooped up his fallen sword and lunged with a shout. Branch didn't even turn around. Silver shot forward and tackled Creek. The two of them went over the edge and down a shallow decline to another flat spot. Mandy, Aspen, and Rudy dashed after their father. Branch heard Creek scream, and then silence. Rain finally fell from the storm above, as though to wash away the horrors seen that night. Branch clenched his fists and shook his head in pity. He turned at the sound of padded feet on wet rock, and he saw Silver approach him. The old wolf-troll had blood on his teeth.

"Go back to your pack, Branch." Silver encouraged. "They need you."

Branch stepped forward. He and Silver pressed their foreheads together, and then Branch took off down the rocks and back to home.

Mandy trotted over to her surrogate father, shifting to her troll form. "He doesn't taste very good, Father."

"Then we'll bury him. Or feed him to the crocodiles." Silver said.

"Why don't we just leave him here?" Aspen demanded as he and Rudy caught up.

"Yeah. He tried to kill Branch. That little pup means a lot to us." Rudy agreed.

"We are not monsters. We obey the laws of the forest." Silver said wisely. "If we will not eat him, then we cannot let him go to waste. Now come. There's been enough chaos tonight."

* * *

Branch never ran so fast before in his entire life. He stopped at the edge of the clearing where the battle took place. The animals he recruited to help in the fight already left, their job finished. The fighter wolf-trolls of Peppy's pack had licked their wounds, all of them injured in some way but alive.

"Branch!" Poppy gasped, running up to him. She jumped into his arms, and he held her close. He reached up to touch a bruise on Poppy's head. She took his hand and gave it a squeeze to assure him she was all right. Her dress was torn too, but she didn't seem to notice. Satin and Chenille looked rather disheveled, but they, too, were alive.

Branch scanned the area for his pack and found every single one of them gathered around Peppy and Rosiepuff. Branch swallowed and hesitantly stepped forward. Peppy lay on the ground, leaning against a tree root and his breathing ragged. Rosiepuff knelt beside him, offering comfort but unable to give much more. Blood stained the blue bandages around Rosiepuff's injured shoulder, which explained why Poppy's dress had been torn. Rosiepuff's eyes were glassy with tears even when she put on a brave face. She looked up when Branch stepped forward. Branch tried to step back again, but Rosiepuff stood and pulled him forward in a warm embrace. She silently ushered him towards Peppy. Branch almost didn't want to, but he had to face this. He walked up and knelt by Peppy's side. Nobody had bothered the wrap the fatal wound. Blood stained Peppy's clothes and skin.

Peppy realized his mate was no longer near him, and he wearily blinked his eyes open. "Branch….."

Branch blinked to stop his tears. "Peppy, please forgive me."

"No…forgive me….." Peppy rasped. "For being so blind….you _are…._ part of this pack…..and we should've…told you the truth…..a long time ago….."

Branch shook his head. His eyes were glassy now. "I don't care if I'm a wolf-troll or a rainbow troll. I just know I belong here."

Peppy smiled a little, pride shining weakly in his eyes. He shakily raised a hand and put it on the side of Branch's head. "This pack…..our family…..will look to you…..as their alpha."

Branch paled a little. "No…..Peppy, please. I can't—"

"Take care of them….." Peppy pulled Branch's head forward to press their foreheads together. "My son…..take care of them…"

Tears finally trickled down Branch's cheeks, and he squeezed his eyes shut. They flew open again when Peppy fell back against the tree, his hand falling limply to the ground. Branch's shoulders trembled as he sobbed silently. The rest of the pack bowed their heads in mourning. Satin, Chenille, and Poppy cuddled together in a comforting group hug. Branch gently lifted Peppy up a little to hold him close, still shaking terribly. He hugged Peppy tightly, as though hoping it would bring the alpha back. Branch didn't want to be alpha. He wasn't ready. The rain's chill was nothing compared to his broken heart.

After a moment, Branch slowly leaned Peppy against the tree again. He looked back to the wolf-trolls, who now stood holding stones and flowers. They were prepared for a proper wolf-troll funeral. Branch held up a hand to stop them, and he slowly walked over to retrieve Peppy's cane. He placed the cane next to Peppy's body, folded Peppy's hands over his chest, and then nodded to the wolf-trolls. The pack stepped forward. They used the stones they gathered to create a circle around Peppy's body, and the flowers were placed around the corpse of the alpha. Once that finished, Branch knelt down before the grave and lowered his head for a prayer. This site was now sacred. No animal would dare to touch Peppy's corpse now that he had received a proper funeral. He would become part of the forest. Branch didn't have the strength to make a sound. Rosiepuff changed to her wolf form and started the mourning howl. The rest of the pack followed suit. Satin, Chenille, and Poppy couldn't stop their tears. The entire scene was beautiful, yet so very sad.

Branch stood, and he turned to stare at the pack. Everyone stared back. They were lost. They needed someone to guide them, to lead them, to protect them. With Peppy's dying breath, he declared Branch to be that someone. Rosiepuff looked to Branch, silently urging him to make his choice.

Branch stood straighter, a determined frown on his face. The wolf-trolls perked up hopefully. Branch nodded firmly, to show he accepted his new role. The wolf-trolls howled, this time with joy, to celebrate their new alpha. Branch allowed the new responsibility to fall on his shoulders. He gestured for the pack to follow him, and he led them deeper into the forest to let Peppy rest in peace.

Satin and Chenille wanted to follow, but Poppy held them back. They stared after the departing pack, who would no doubt disappear into the forest and never be seen again. With Branch protecting them, nobody would find or hurt the wolf-trolls.

Tears streamed down Poppy's cheeks. Not only did she witness something horrible, but she lost Branch in the process.


	20. Two Worlds, One Family

**Chapter Twenty – Two Worlds, One Family**

Moxie and her crew made sure to capture the remaining thugs who worked for Creek. When they returned home, the thugs would be prosecuted and most likely imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Moxie didn't ask very many questions when Poppy reported that Creek was dead. She did, however, insist that they leave as soon as possible.

Thankfully for Satin, Chenille, and Poppy, Branch came back to see them off. He had already applied the medicinal leaves to his wounds, but Satin and Chenille insisted on wrapping the injuries with gauze from the first aid kit. Satin and Chenille hugged Branch tightly, and then left him and Poppy alone to talk. There wasn't much to talk about, though. Poppy had changed into a new dress and cleaned herself up. That didn't do much to brighten her spirit.

"The Troll Tree doesn't seem as magnificent compared to this place." Poppy said.

"I will miss you, Poppy." Branch said.

Poppy swallowed back her tears. "Miss Poppy!" Moxie called.

"I'm coming!" Poppy said. She held out her hand to Branch. "Well…goodbye…."

Branch looked at her hand, and then pressed his palm against hers similarly to how they did when they first met. "Goodbye."

Poppy couldn't take it anymore. She turned and jumped into the rowboat before Branch could see her crying. Branch stared after her sadly. He wanted to pull her back. It just wouldn't be right, though. He couldn't keep her here if she didn't want to stay.

"Bye Branch!" Satin called from the rowboat as Moxie started paddling away.

"Bye!" Chenille echoed her sister. She sighed as she and Satin sat down. "I'm going to miss him."

"Me too." Satin sighed.

Poppy touched her palm. She could almost feel Branch's hand still there. So many memories they had together in such a short time. She tied her hair back into a ponytail and picked up her flower headband. Satin and Chenille took her hands in theirs.

"Poppy, darling." Satin said. "We were just thinking….."

"…that if you want to stay, you should." Chenille finished.

"Girls, please don't." Poppy begged. She tried to pull her headband on over her bangs, but she fumbled with the hairpiece. "I can't stay there when I belong in the Troll Tree with you and—"

She gasped when the wind snatched her headband from her hands, and it flew over to land in the surf. Branch scooped up the headband, rubbing one of the felt flowers with his thumb. He stared back at Poppy with a hopeful expression. Poppy stared back. Everything inside her called out for her to go back.

"You love him." Satin said.

Poppy looked down, then back to her sisters. Could she really….?

"Go on." Chenille nodded.

Poppy smiled broadly, and she hugged her sisters. Then, to Moxie's surprise, Poppy leaped right out of the rowboat and half-swam, half-ran to the shore. Branch stood, staring in surprise as a smile stretched across his face. The second she was close enough, Poppy jumped forward and hugged Branch. The force of the pink troll slamming into the blue one sent both of them falling into the sea. Poppy laughed as she sat upright, and Branch shook water of his head with a grin a mile wide. He almost couldn't believe she actually came back. She truly loved him enough to give up her life in the Troll Tree and stay with him. Poppy had a brief moment where she couldn't believe she just jumped out of the rowboat. But boy did it feel good to be back with Branch. In her elation, she wrapped her arms around Branch's neck and planted a kiss right on his lips. After a second, she realized what she did and jumped back.

"Oh, uh, sorry." Poppy said with a deep blush in her cheeks. Branch looked pretty shell-shocked, but in a good way. He handed Poppy her headband, and she pulled it on. She felt Branch's hand on her face, and he guided her lips back to his in a tender kiss. When they broke apart, Poppy noticed something on the sand. She cleared her throat and pointed. Branch followed her point to see the pack standing there, most of them with playful smirks. Branch laughed and helped Poppy to her feet, leading her back to the pack.

Satin and Chenille sighed simultaneously with bliss at the sight. Chenille grinned at her twin. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Aren't I always?" Satin laughed. "Captain Moxie! Tell them you never found us!"

"What?" Moxie asked in amazement.

"People get lost in the forest all the time." Chenille shrugged. She and Satin hopped right off the rowboat and headed for shore.

Rosiepuff approached Branch and Poppy first. She had her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised at the pink troll. Branch pushed Poppy forward, and the pink troll curtsied politely. Rosiepuff smiled, took Poppy's head in her hands, and pressed their foreheads together. That act alone showed Poppy was accepted, and the pack cheered loudly.

* * *

Wolf-trolls didn't really have holidays like the rainbow trolls. But they did have the most sacred of traditions. One such tradition was the Full Moon Songs. Ever full moon, the pack would gather together to hear the wolfsong of every wolf-troll who found theirs.

This would be the first one for Poppy, Satin, and Chenille.

The girls adjusted rather nicely to living with Branch and the wolf-trolls. The pack accepted the girls with open hearts, rather fascinated by how well they could sing. It certainly made Full Moon Songs more fun. Suki, Cooper, Guy Diamond, Smidge, Biggie, and Fuzzbert recreated their song they danced to when they first discovered the camp. Satin and Chenille didn't really have a wolfsong, but they did perform a duet of one of their favorite tunes. Of course, this caused several male wolf-trolls to swoon over the pretty ladies. Even Rosiepuff sang her wolfsong, though it brought back some pain since it was a song Peppy completed a long time ago.

"To finish off the night, per the usual, we will do a group song!" Suki announced to the pack. "And our alpha has chosen a special song that he and his lady love will start for us."

Branch rolled his eyes. "Lady love? Really?"

"Don't talk like you don't enjoy it." Poppy teased.

Branch pulled her into a side-hug and kissed her cheek. "Suki, Cooper, take it away!"

Cooper and Suki nodded, and they began making music by using the natural instruments around them. Guy Diamond, Fuzzbert, Biggie, and Smidge jumped in to help. They used leaves and rocks and the wood of the trees and even plucked at the strings of vines tied between two pieces of wood. All these sounds came together to form the music, and Branch and Poppy began to sing.

Branch took the first verse. It was the verse that sang of the wolf-trolls and their beautiful home. It was about their way of life and the traditions they carried. Traditions that Branch would be responsible for continuing as their new alpha. He would miss Peppy and often wish he had the older alpha's guidance. Branch just knew he would do everything he could to be the best alpha he could be, and hopefully he would be half the alpha Peppy was.

Poppy was next, singing in a way that conveyed her feelings upon arriving in Darknem. It was a new adventure for her. Though she was scared at first, she was also excited. Who could've guessed she would find someone like Branch, and then join his pack and basically become a wolf-troll herself? She had no regrets. She loved Branch, and she wanted to spend her life with him.

Suki and Cooper took their turn, once again singing of their pack and home. Suki was also proud of being a wolf-troll. She knew her place in the world, and she never questioned it. She once questioned Branch, but it didn't take long before he became like a brother to her. As for Cooper, he didn't know where he'd be if it weren't for Branch coming to his aide. He owed his better life to his brother.

Satin and Chenille came up next. Their verse exemplified their feelings as they came to Darknem. This was a trip their mother planned to take with them when Poppy turned eighteen and graduated from school. But when their mother passed, Satin and Chenille became Poppy's guardians at a rather young age. Fresh out of school, and they had to balance their career plans with raising Poppy. They never imagined their lives would take this turn. It was certainly a nice change, and they wouldn't trade it for anything.

Branch invited Rosiepuff to join them in the song. She knew exactly how to contribute to the song: by singing of her role in how they came to be who they were today. She thought her world ended when her pup was killed by Zina. But finding Branch gave her a new purpose. She loved Branch with all her heart, and she was so proud of who he had become. Branch knew the truth of his birth parents, but he would always see Rosiepuff as his mother and no one else.

The singers joined their voices in a melodic chorus to finish the song. This wasn't just a song, it was a story. It was a story of their lives and how all those stories wove together to create the pack they had now. Not many animal tribes in the forest could have multiple species living in harmony. This pack had wolf-trolls, rainbow trolls, and even a llama as part of their family. The road they traveled to get this far was full of bumps, smooth roads, and a few hills, but it worked out in the end.

This song, this story, told of the dark times they endured, the happiness they felt now, and the hope that shined for their future.

Under Branch's rule as alpha, this wolf-troll pack would prosper.

 **THE END**


End file.
